Return of Hades: A Godly Gift & Tempting Temptress
by purplerose69
Summary: After Hercules and Meg return, Zeus promises a godly wedding gift. But when Hades returns and a Temptress hears about this gift, can the couple fight off another deal binding mess with Hades? Is who this Temptress is really a mystery to Meg?
1. Chapter 1

_Muses:_

_Calliope: This is the second half of the story of a famous greek hero; Hercules._

_Thalia: Oh honey you mean Hunk-ules._

_Terpsichore: We've all heard it that one before…_

_Calliope: Anyways… it's a tale of past decite._

_Clio: A tale of a reawakened enemy._

_Melpomene: A tale of love surpassing all odds._

_Calliope: This story beings on a lovely day in Greece, Thebes. It had been about a month since Hercules had thrown Hades back into the river of the underworld, where might I add, many would argue that he belongs. Hercules and Meg were living a relatively peaceful life on the earth…_

"Hey where'd Wonderboy go off to now?" Meg said putting her hands on her hips confused about the whereabouts of her lover.

"Hey…hey meg! Sorry I was doing a training session with Phil!" He replied, running into the large room. Quirks to being the girlfriend of a God/Modern Day Greek Hero, she thought.

"All of little Hade's tricks have left with him, and the goat's still got you running laps…" She said rolling her eyes.

"Hey, better safe then sorry, I guess." He replied looking at her.

"So wanna ditch this place and go out tonight?" She said.

"Sorry Meg, I cant tonight. My father wants me to go see him in the temple."

"About?" She looked at him suspiciously.

"Ahh, its nothing for you to worry about." He said flicking his hand in a –don't-worry-its nothing- manner.

"Mhm. Well Wonderboy, just let me know when your back. Better me than Phil, or he'd make you train all night."

He stepped closer to her and kissed her on the forehead. "See yea later Meg!" He ran off in the direction of the doors.

She watched him step out with a satisfied smile on her face. She'd finally let herself be able to love again, and Herc loved her back.

"Father! I came! What do you want ?" Hercules said as he entered the Temple of Zeus to the huge statue of his father.

Suddenly with a clash of lightning the statue came to life. "Son! My boy! How is live here on the earth's ground?"

"Great! Everything's pretty peaceful here!"

"Yea because Hades isn't around huh boy!" He said nudging his sons shoulder causing him to fumble back a bit.

"Oh yea! Its great."

"And Meg, how is she doing?"

"Great. Meg and I are great. Actually I was thinking about …"

"Ha Ha! I knew it son! I knew you were going to ask her to get married sooner or later!"

"Well … uh… I didn't say that exactly …but sure!" Hercules said first looking down unsure than confidently looking up at his father.

"Well when are you going to ask her?"

"Well…" He said putting his hand behind his head, " I havnt figured it all out yet."

"Oh, oh I see. Well boy, ill just have to let you know your Mother and I have been waiting for this moment for along time. We have the perfect wedding gift for you two!"

"Can you tell me what it is?"

"Oh well Hera would kill me but…oh well. We were thinking of making Meg a Goddess for you…"

"A Goddess? The Goddess of what?"

"Oh I don't know…we'll figure the fine print out later my boy!"

"Wow Dad this is great! But when?"

"Technically we can only do this on your wedding day; on a special ceremony, not to mention she has to be the one your willing to spend forever with."

"Why's that?"

"Well we can only give her the title of a Goddess if she has reason to be a goddess…plus there are some details, like the rest of the Gods and Goddesses have to agree, but they would have to considering you are son of Zeus. Ha Ha my boy! Do you like it?"

"Do I like it? I love it!"

"Good, good. Now just keep it to yourself for the time being. Don't even tell Meg yet…"

"Why not?"

"Keep it a surprise my boy! Plus I can't let this information of us letting just anyone become a God…or I mean Goddess."

"Alright Pops, I see."

"Oh and before I leave son…"

"Yes?"

"Remember Hades is a God too…"

"Why would you say that?"

"…because he can always come back…" Zeus said as he left the statue.

Hercules left, as the night had become rainy and he knew he needed to get back to Meg. He left in such a hurry he didn't see someone lurking in the shadows outside the temple. The shadow watched as the young man ran away to his flying horse. "Just anyone can become a God or Goddess eh? Ahaha. Well maybe I need to make a visit to an old friend."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Under the table deals in the Underworld**

_Calliope: Coincidently in the underworld a certain evil god was back from the dead.  
><em>

_Thalia: A Nasty old flame if I do say so…*shiver*_

_Calliope: He was already trying to create a new plot to destroy his old enemy Hercules…  
><em>

_Thalia: Oh what a nasty thought.  
><em>

_In the underworld...  
><em>

"Ugh all this slime. This soul stuff is just …ugh." Hades said trying to peel away the liquid slime off of his body from his ride with the souls.  
>After a minute of wiping himself off, his hair of fire grew back into a blue flame. He recollected being flushed down that spiral of dead human souls. Disgusting! He watched them moan and grab at his ankles as he shoved with them off with balls of fire. Charon better get him back to his throne at once. And Pain and Panic? Where have they been? He looked over to see his three headed dog, and threw him a large piece of meat from beneath the bench of the boat.<p>

**…**

"Eh Pain?"

"Yea?"

"Don't you think it's a little lonely or b-b-bored here without Hades?"

"Meh, a bit."

"You don't think he'll ever come back do you?"

"Only IF he can get outta all of those slimy, disgusting, souls."

"Yes. IF is good."

"Yes IF is a wonderful word isn't it boys" A third voice said.

The two demons look over to see two yellow eyes looking at them from the darkness. Hades emerged to see the two looking up at him.

"Your highness-ness." Pain said, bowing over.

"You're back?" Panic said.

"OF COURSE IM BACK!" Hades screamed at them. "Now how has…."

He looked over to the soul count. He remembered it last at 5000000100. It was only at 50000000150.

"What exactly has been going on since I …ahem left?"

"Well, uh...uh…" Panic answered. "You've been banished from Olympus."

"Yea, and the Fates can't visit you anymore either!"

"B-by the order of Zeus."

"Oh wonderful, and have either one of you two even been doing ANYTHING around here? You know the odd monster? Helping me get revenge on that dumb hunk of muscle Hercules? Or stupid little Nut-Meg?" He said flaming a red colour.

"Did you?"

"Did you?" They said to each other.

"Ugh." He said massaging his forehead. "Why am I not surprised?"

"We'll isn't their some way that you can make another deal with Meg?" Panic asked.

"Not when she's under Wonder boy's watch…wait. Deal. Hmm. Deal eh?" Hades said to himself.

"What?" Panic asked.

"Anyone the remember the last thing I said to Herc?"

"Oh, oh I know… YOU'RE A GOD?" Pain said.

"Ugh. No. The last deal I made?"

"Oh, oh you said something about 'you get her out she goes…" Panic started

"and you stay'!" Pain finished.

"Bingo! So under our deal I should have Hercules spinning around in a river of death."

"But you can't! He's still part God!" Pain said.

"Hmm how can I get past these obstacles…since I can't deal with the fates anymore because of oh high and mighty Zeus? Hmm..." Hades thought to himself.

"You have something better than the fates." A female voice chimed out.

"Hmm?" Hades said looking up. "Who are you?"

"Don't tell me you've forgotten me already?" A female human walked out from the darkness. She had long black flowing wavy hair, and brown eyes and red lips with a curvy yet fit body. She wore a one shouldered dress that connected to a band that ran around the top. Her dress was red and snugged her features, and with a gold band than ran under her bust line. Her dress even had a slit that led half way up her leg.

"Hmm, Hmm" He laughed. "Melaina, you've come back."

"Not for just anything though. You think I'd come back just for another petty deal with you?"

"Well if you wanted something enough…" He looked at her with sly eyes.

"I'll catch you a deal, but my souls not involved this time blue boy."

"Oh and what might you have to offer Melly my sweet."

"Save the sweet talk, I have info on your boy Hercules that you may wanna hear."


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3: The Plan**

"Oh and how do you find out such things?" Pain said to the young woman as he was jealous of her knowledge of such information.

"Simple you fool. I followed him."

"Wait, wait. You're telling me Wonder boy just happened to walk right past you and you decided to follow him?" Hades inquired.

"Look, buddy do you want to know or not?"

"Okay, okay relax."

"Look ever since I took Meg's boyfriend off your hands, I have had a lot of free time to myself. Technically that's the first favor I did for you so…"

"Hey, hey Mel, honey, you and I had a deal."

"No, I and you had a deal. I told you I'd go get you your other little minion girl if you let me go. I basically handed her to you on a platter. Got it?"

"Bu…" Hades was going to say something but thought better. She could have some useful information. "Go on."

"Anyway, let's just say I saw Muscle boy on his flying horse going on up to Zeus' temple. I followed him on my own. Hard to miss that boy. He's quite the package."

"Enough, with the comments! I mean Mel , Mel common honey on to the next part."

"Anyway, followed him up to see the human god in action; only to see Zeus and his son having a conversation. Something about a wedding gift to Meg…" She stopped her sentence midway on purpose. She slyly smiled at the evil god; she knew what she'd have to do to get her way.

"A wedding present? A WEDDING PRESENT? So your telling me Nut-Meg and Herc are getting married now?"

"Not yet. He hasn't asked her yet, but when he does, Meg's gonna be moving up in the world…"

"Mhm, mhm, so you're saying…"

"Zeus' gift is that on their wedding, whoever Hercules marries becomes a goddess too."

"WHAT?" Hades face fumed in red flames. "So not only can I not get revenge but their both going to be GODS?

"Cool your jets flame thrower. Look I want Hercules. The Demi-god, hero, and the rich boy. I want power. I want this goddess title. And you want revenge. It's simple really."

"Simple?" With that word he lessened to a blue flame.

"You don't have anyone down here to do your dirty work. I'll do it on the terms that I'll get Herc and I can give you Meg in return. Tell her about the little "predicament" Hercules is in with your deal. If she see's me she'll freak out too. Ha, ha. You'll tear their love apart again."

"But your evil-lous-ness, how do you keep Hercules from taking back Meg?" Pain asked.

"Hmm, trapping Meg as my worker again, tear Hercules' love apart, and replace her with an goddess with the inside scoop on the upper level…not bad." He thought for a second.

"Deal?" She said.

"Deal" he said smiling an evil grin. "So boys, how do you make a god mortal?"

"You cant?" said Panic.

"Then how do you make a mortal being live in the underworld."

"You cant?" said Pain.

"Precisely."

**_I should inform you, i am not including the whole Persephone character exactly in this story. Disney already changed the Hercules story so im just going from there. Please review if you have any ideas or thoughts ! thanks!_**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

"So how'd that talk go with your father go last night?" Meg said meeting Hercules in the lounge room.

"Uhm, it went great! He just wanted to make sure everything was okay!" Hercules replied trying to sound non-suspicious. He knew Zeus hadn't wanted him to reveal the so called wedding gift.

"That everything was okay?" She looked unsatisfied. "Well Wonderboy is everything okay?"

"Oh yea, oh yea no problems!" He said waving his hand nonchalantly. She sighed.

"Well that's good." She looked over over at the goat-man who was standing in the hallway, who was looking rather peeved. "Now is Phil going to let you skip out on a training session to come with me today or will he just go…"

"Nope, sorry blue eyes, Hercules has got some work cut out for him." replied Phil already dragging him out of the room.

"…bizerk." She finished sarcastically.

Phil looked to Hercules. "Especially if that Hades guy comes back."

"Hades?" Meg said astonished. "Herc, is there something you need to tell me?"

"Meg, its fine. Its just, he's a god remember? He could come back …but..don't worry! I'll spend time with you later! In the garden, tonight!" He reassured her, his head poking out of the door way as Phil continued to drag him on.

"Okay Wonder-boy, see you then!" She said, saluting him. She turned around and thought to herself, silently praying to the gods that Hades NEVER comes back.

…

"Hey Phil what was the rush getting to training today?"

"Well after what you said about Hades we'd better get you back in…"

"Nah Phil my father just meant sometime in the future, plus he's got him banished from Olympia and the Fates he can't…"

Suddenly Phil grabbed the top of Hercules' shirt to pull him down to his level. "Well then how do you explain the locals complaining about all the monsters in the forest recently kid. I know they're a little crazy but we gotta be sure..."  
>Hercules looked at Phil with astonished eyes. Then suddenly a bunch of birds flew up from the forest as a big bang had scared them, and at their eye's sight not to far from Thebes. It had sounded like a huge tree had fallen over in the forest. People in the city stopped moving when they heard the bang, and then continued their activities as if nothing happened.<p>

"Sheesh, maybe these people need a few more natural disasters…" Phil said.

"Phil what was that?"

"I don't know kid, unless some crazy people are starting to knock down those huge trees…"

"Ugh Phil I don't think they could."

"Not unless they had your strength…" He replied nudging Hercules forearms. "Let's go check it out."

Hercules whistled and with that Pegasus arrived and they zoomed off to the forest.

...

**_Meanwhile within the forest;_**

"Hey toots! You gonna handle this thing?" Pain said disguised as a bunny.

"I got it fur ball." Mel said looking up at the Minotaur, who just knocked down another tree after falling against it in a laughing fit. "You just make sure Muscle-boy arrives, and Horn-head over here doesn't knock a tree on him. I'm doing Hades a favor you know?"

"A favor? A favor?" Panic said as a chipmunk rapidly." If Hercules doesn't knock him down first. Hades won't have a f-f-follower."

At this time Hercules and Phil and Pegasus had already hid themselves in a bush behind the action. They saw the Minotaur but couldn't see anything else, when suddenly a dark haired curvy girl in a red toga dress emerged from the sides of the bushes.

"AHAHAHA!" The large burly Minotaur laughed. He had a large dark brown fury face of a bull that covered most of his chest, and as his lower half resembled a man, or more a giant, it stayed a dark tan brown until his feet reversed to hooves with a large animal skin cloth covering his "waist". "Hades? Wants ME? The same god that was banished from Olympia? Ha Ha, he is no god! What good do I have partnering with him?"

Phil looked to Hercules. "So Hades is back."

Panic had hopped over to look around the bushes when he spotted Hercules and the others hidden behind a large bush. He crawled up the tree to get Pain's attention, who then signaled to Melaina that it was a go, by hopping up and down.

"Do it sister!" He said. She took it as a go to play out the plan.

"Look Horn-head, Hades said he'd give you power and ownership over the forest; and the right to keep and kill whatever entered it in return for your services if he ever needed them. Take it or leave it?" She said this while swinging her hips and let her one shouldered strap fall off her shoulder accidently.

"I'll take it then…" The Minotaur said getting up from the side of the huge tree he had knocked down. "If I get whatever is in this forest right now." He said this while eyeing her up, with her curvy body, slightly larger breasts and well fiery red dress.

She looked up at him, then suddenly fixing her strap as if she hadn't noticed and replied, " I wouldn't count on it."

"But I would." He answered looking at her with red eyes. If anything could arouse a bull it would be red. He swung his grasp at her and caught her in his fist.

"Let go!" She yelled kicking at him until he dropped her onto the ground. Her black hair fell around her face. She started to run and he ran after using his horns to pin her against a tree. She tried to push him back off of her purposely. She thought to herself, "I hope Muscle-boy hurries up or I am going to kill Hades for this. The things I do for …"

"Hey look kid I don't know if this is a good idea getting caught up in Hades plans again…" Phil reasoned.

"Yea Phil but he has another girl to do his work? That's not right." Hercules replied.

"Yea but you know how it works; they made a deal. Just be thankful it's not Meg and let's fight this guy after she's gone…"

"Sorry but I can't just let someone get hurt." Hercules said running off to go save Hade's new enslaved girl minion.

"Hey! Let the girl go!" He yelled at the Minotaur who was now holding her with his hand against the tree as she pushed him with both from getting any closer.

"Ah, Hercules. Sorry even Zeus' son couldn't keep me away from this pretty thing."

Hercules looked up at her. She was good looking. Her long voluminous black hair was hiding one eye from being tousled. She looked down at him. And then surprised him.

"Hey you're…" She started. "Oh no. Look Muscle-boy, I can handle bull-breath over here, so you can go about your evening, okay?" She said flashing a smile his way.

"But don't you need help?" He asked.

" Well with your rep' you'd probably have horn-boy down…or should I say horn-Y-boy…down and dead in about a minute…" She said as his face went sheepish from the flattery, while the bull got mad and slammed her into the tree harder. "Ugh.." She moaned. "But I got a bargain to keep so …"

"Bargain or not, let the grip on her go!" He said twisting his attention to the bull-man. She was having a hard time speaking…and speaking of speaking…he thought, she was very determined and witty…just like Meg had been actually.

"Let her go?" The Minotaur said looking from Hercules to the girl, "Oh like this?" Suddenly he squeezed the girl even harder so she collapsed over on top of his hand. She looked up at Hercules.

"Have a good …ugh.." She tried to continue but she couldn't. And Melaina actually couldn't.

"Let her go now!" Hercules demanded. He hated seeing anyone in pain. He used is sword to slice at his wrist causing the Minotaur to drop the girl who fell against the tree in a sitting position.

"You're gonna pay!" The Minotaur yelled out clutching his wrist. But within moments Hercules had beaten the bull causing him to knock down a few more trees in the process.

"Hey, are you alright?" He said helping the girl up.

"Ugh, yea I'm fine." She said while still holding her side where the Minotaur had probably bruised her.

"You don't look like it." He said.

"I'll handle it." She answered, flashing another fake smile as she tried to walk away.

"Wait! What does Hades have to do with you anyway?" He asked reaching out his hand.

"Well…" She looked up at him. He seemed genuinely concerned. Too bad he didn't know that she knew how to handle Hades just fine. "I made a deal, for my brother, either way don't get messed up in it."

"Why?" He asked absent mindedly.

"Because Hades would love to get his hands on you again."

He looked at her astonished.

"I know what happened. He vents. A lot."

"He shouldn't be doing this though!" Hercules said.

"You can't help me anyway, plus you should go back to Meg too…"

"Wait…how do you know so much?"

"Well I knew M…oh forget it. Thanks for the help Muscle-boy" She said as she walked off as best she could. She actually was bruised.

"Well your hurt, can't I give you a lift?"

"You don't give up do you?" She asked. "but I cant."

"Well let me try to help get you out of this? I mean what's your name?"

"Melaina, but most people call me Mel. See ya _Muscle-boy._" She said as she walked off into the darkness of the forest leaving Hercules dumbfounded.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Details of a Defying Deal**

"So are you boys satisfied?" She asked looking down at the rabbit and chipmunk.

"Well ex-cusssseee me sister, but you killed the minotaur." Panic complained bending back to his demon form.

"Boys, boys. Relax, relax." Hades said appearing beside one of the few remaining trees. "So Mel, my sweet, what how many more of my monsters will you need at your dispose?" He said in a slightly agitated voice.

"How many more days do you want to wait, revenge-less in that river of death…" She said her hand on her hip flipping her head around to look at him, her long black hair flipping around with it.

"Fine, fine. So he kills the forests biggest minotaur oh in Greece… just let me know the instant you have Hercules…"

"I got him on my hook already, so I don't know what you're worried about."

"What? How?"

"Remember my brother?"

"Oh right, the brother that you sold your soul to me, in order to save him from a wasting disease, and after a year you tricked your way out of the deal by getting me Meg."

"Wait, wait…isn't he dead?" Pain interrupted.

"Yea, yea…" Panic said as if approving Pain's question.

"You got it. Died on a ship a few days after. A lot of good that deal did me." She answered cynically.

"So if he's dead…then what?" Pain asked.

"Let's just say he's back to life, as far as Hercules is concerned." She said staring off at the cleared patch of grass in the forest where he battled the minotaur.

"Heh, heh." Hades laughed. "Wait, wait, so you sell your soul for a dying brother that doesn't exist again and Hercules thinks you're an innocent victim…"

"Catchin' on quick eh Flame-boy." She said walking over towards the three demonic characters.

"So how do you get me Meg?"

"Simple, Meg hates me. Knows me as the girl that took her hunk of a boyfriend; you appear, make a deal and poof she's yours. Plus you got that "leverage" I believe." She said talking to Hades as if this was  
>completely obvious.<p>

"Mhm, mhm. But how do I get Meg…"

"Look honey, Meg's your deal to handle, not mine. You just make sure it works out that I get Muscle-boy and Goddess status and you can keep his lover in chains. You get your revenge, I get my…prize." She answered him her hand remaining on her hip with full-fledged attitude.

"Okay, okay. We made the deal. Remember?" Hades said trying to calm her down.

"Good. So you have another beast for "_my disposal"_? She said mocking him with a sly smile on her face.

"Actually I have the perfect one in mind…"

"Hey, I don't like that look on your face."

"The look on my face? Hey, honey, don't worry about it. It's just that you seem so good at man-handling that I thought I'd get a little fish-man out a my way."

"I don't do man-handling, unless im getting something out of it." She said in a condescending voice. "Fish-man?"

"Ahh yeaa, just a little mer-demon that prevents people from bathing in the east river…"

"And you _want_ Hercules to kill him?" Pain interrupted again.

"YES, if people cant swim, so they cant drown, and he just tends to scare them away. Ever since I left it seems that SOMEONE hasn't been paying much attention to the NUMBER of souls…" He said getting more enraged.

"We areee your …"

"Save the melodrama boys. You'll pay for it later."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Promises, Lies, Love and Everything Between**

"You really got yourself in a mess this time kid." Phil said angrily walking beside Hercules and Pegasus.

"Hey, Phil all I did was save her. No damage done. And did you see the way I knocked out that monster? Didn't think I still had it in me eh?" Hercules said high-fiving Pegasus.

"Nah, I didn't doubt that kid, it's just if Hades hears about you messing up his plans you know he's…"

"Ah nah Phil, I got this, this time. What can he do about it anyway, I'm half god!" Hercules said running up towards the garden he was supposed to meat Meg at.

"Yea that's the point…your only _half _a god." Phil said out loud to himself.

**...**

"Hey Meg!"  
>"Heya Wonderboy. How was training today?"<p>

"Uhm, good. Actually I had to kill a Minotaur today."

"A _Minotaur_?"

" Yea it was knocking down…uhm trees in the forest."

"Well, good job. Seems the goats got you back in the game."

"I guess." He said shrugging. "So how was your day?"

"Meh, can't complain." She said shrugging down onto a stone bench.

He noticed she seemed depressed. But why? Probably because he hadn't been around for a few days with Phil training him.

"This is the same garden we came too after our first date." He said trying to uplift her mood.

"Yea it is," she said, looking around at the moon-lit sky. It was almost an identically beautiful night to that night. "But I don't know if you'd call it our first date."

"Why?" He said confused.

"I was still doing Hade's dirty work…remember." She said standing up and looking down at her reflection in the structured pond.

"Oh Meg." He said, "I don't care. You couldn't help that Meg." He looked down in the pond at his reflection beside her, reaching for her shoulder reassuringly.

"But I should have." She said cringing walking away from the reflections in the pond.

"Either way Meg, it was one of the best days of my life. I finally felt wanted." He admitted.

"I did too, its just I can't shake the guilty feeling that…" She turned around after hearing a rustle of bushes, to see Hercules holding out another white flower for her just like he did that night. She smiled. She had been mistaken; it wasn't a bush rustling but the whole tree. She took the flower in her hand and looked down at it.

"Don't worry about it Meg. That doesn't matter anymore, and we don't have to worry about any of those problems again." He said.

She looked up at him smiling. She could admit it to herself without any problem now, as she did in the past; she was in love.

"Just promise me, that Hades won't ever interfere again."

"Meg I…" He looked at her now leaning up against his shoulder resting her head.

"Okay. I promise."

**….**

"Hey kid, you tell Meg last night that Hades is back yet?" Phil asked

"Well uh…"

"You didn't!"

"Phil, I cant just yet. I don't want to scare her. She's still all shook up about…" He started to recall the night before.

"Fine, fine. You just better watch what you do…"

"I will Phil."

"Just think before you act otherwise…"

"OUCH! Oh I'm sorry I…" Hercules looked down to see that the girl from yesterday had just bumped into him. She looked up at him firstly apologetically, but after recognizing his face her expression seemed to change.

"Oh, it's you. Hey look I have something to do sorry about bumping into you…" She said trying to get past him.

"It's okay, uhm what was your name again? Mel?" He said trying to remember.

Phil looked up at the two and started to get angry. "Okay that's it. I'm going to the stadium, meet me there IF you feel like ever TRAINING…" He said storming off.

"Kay Phil!" Hercules said yelling after him. "Sorry about that its just he's a little…" He continued expecting Mel to be paying attention, but instead she was still trying to walk away from him in the passing crowd. She looked almost rushed, or frantic.

"Hey are you okay?" He said grabbing her wrist.

"Yea, look Muscle-boy I'd really love to stay and chat but I got a little…uhm chore I got to do… and its Melaina."

Chore eh? He thought to himself. Hades is up to something. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No, look I'm really sorry but I have to go…" She said rushing away from him in the crowd.

"Something's up Pegasus, I should follow her." Hercules said to Pegasus.

Pegasus gave him the suspicious and disapproving eye.

"Hey common, Hades could be up to something. We'll go see what it is, than we'll leave right away and I'll go find Phil to train! Promise?"

Pegasus nodded approvingly and they flew off following the black and red dot that was winding through the crowd heading for the east forest, not too far from the east river.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Not Exactly **_**The Little Mermaid**_

"So how are you gonna get him out of the w-w-ater?" Panic asked.

"I have a few ideas…" She said looking down at the little demon with a small smile on her face.

"What are you thinking sister?" Panic asked.

"On nothing…" She said as she turned around to face the other direction as if she was going to walk away, then swung the back of her leg up kicking Panic into the air, causing him to fall making a splash in the edge of the water.

"Aahhh, ahhh, ahh!" He yelled swimming over to the edge, as the other two looked into the water waiting for the Mer-demon to arise.

"Way to go!" Pain said.

"Yea, now I'm w-w-et and you got nothing." Pain said.

"I wouldn't call that nothing…" She said watching a shadow creep up to the surface of the water.

...

"What is she doing over by the east river? I thought no-body went there?"

Pegasus shrugged back unknowing of the answer.

"I bet Phil would know." Hercules said feeling guilty that he had been so angry.

"Who has tried to swim in these waters?" The mer-demon said rising to the top of the water. He had long dark blue hair, so dark it almost was black. His skin was a light sea-foam green, and to the eye he seemed good looking; if it weren't for the clearly evil expressions and aura he gave off. His ears were pointed and gilled, and his tail was a dark blue as well, with sharp razor like gills on the sides with a rigid looking fish-tail at the end. His hands had long nails that were more common for girls, but looked more sharp-and menacing than girly. So this is what Hades wanted dead? This killer looker? Hell she could do better than that.

"He did." She said pointing thumb back at the two demons running away like chickens with their heads cut off.

"And you remain here?" He asked. His voice was masculine and harsh; almost raspy. " You do know I am one of the mer-demons that even the Sea-god Neptune banished from the seas? I have killed demi-gods, and humans invading the waters edge. This is my river."

"So I was told. But it seems another god is interested in your…well you."  
>"Another god? What god would want my banished demon ways?" He said as his tail splashed the water in angry suspense.<p>

"Hades. He says by keeping people away from this water you are downing…his well ahem…death count."

...

"Hey kid, what are you doing here?" Phil said suddenly coming out from the bushes.

"Shh!" Hercules said as they again used the local shrubbery to hide themselves. "Phil? How did you find us?"

"Meh, got boring at the stadium, because I don't know, I don't train; YOU DO."

"Shh! But…"

"Do you know how easy it is to spot a flying horse?" Phil said pointing up at Pegasus.

"Heh,heh, guess your right." Hercules said as Pegasus looked offended.

"What's this girl got herself into now?" Phil said peeking through the bush. "The Mer-demon? This is trouble."

"Why?"

"This mer-demon has been here forever, and when it was first banished to the river, it killed anyone and anything that went in the water, and since nobody's come to the river here…hey kid wait!"

...

"So what does he want with me?" The demon asked.

"A deal: you let people wash here and swim that way people can drown or whatever and he gets his death count up and he'll make sure you can use the rest of the river." She said looking rather disapproved of the whole deal.

"But I don't want people in MY river!"

"Then drown them yourself; whatever comes in this water you get to kill, but I have to make this deal or…"

"Mel! Don't do this!" Hercules said emerging from the forest.

"You? What are you doing here?" She said. "Did you follow me?" She put her hand on her waist looking unimpressed.

"I, uh, was concerned." He couldn't tell her he was trying to find out Hades plans.

"Well you shouldn't. You can't kill another monster or Hades will kill…" She said stopping mid sentence. "You just turn around and go back to that horse of yours and get out of here. Do you think I want innocent people to die? Do you think I have a choice in this?" She said looking more depressed and stressed out than angry.

"Hey I'm only trying to help."

"EXCUSE ME?" The mer-demon said splashing water onto the two arguing.

"I'll take the deal." He said with an evil grin on his face. "But I want that demon that disturbed my peace!"

"I'm sorry I cant let you make this deal." Hercules said trying to intervene.

"Ugh…look mer-uhm..guy…that little demon, if you even call it that's gone off a long time ago…but…"

_* she continued to argue back and forth with Hercules trying to explain with out explaining…if that makes any sense…that she had to make this deal…*_

"Then I'll have to take the next best thing…" the Mer-demon interrupted again.

"What?" Hercules said.

"Who?" She asked.

"You." He said with a devious expression wrapping his tail like a tentacle around her ankle as she fell into the water and he dragged her under.

"Herc you can't go in there! You'll…" Phil said trying to stop him.

Without any warning, Hercules dove in after the mer-demon.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Rescues, Revelations and Lies**

He swam under the water, following that black raven colored swirl of hair with a mix of red, which was all he could make out. Luckily he knew that the river couldn't be that deep, but still it seemed that the mer-demon had a speed in the water that even challenged his muscle strength. He couldn't let this girl die doing Hades' work. No matter what way he looked at it, it wasn't right. Finally they hit the bottom, and honestly he was lucky he had taken such a huge breathe of air before he leapt in the water, because he didn't think he'd even make it this far. The mer-demon cornered between a rock and the cavern like walls of the river, held the girl, and swung his tail like a weapon with its sharp scale like ends, that were more like sharp knives. He took out is sword, and it took a lot more energy to use it then up on land, as the water provided a well unneeded resistance. Hercules managed to cut the arm of the mer-demon, and instead of red blood, it leaked black blood…at least he guessed that's what it was. This caused the mer-demon to get angry, and dropped the girl from his sharp grasp to examine his arm. She floated down in the water, and Hercules dove to the floor, to catch her and began to swim upwards. He reached the top and lifted her up onto the grass before noticing the black shadow of the mer-demon now swimming around him. He gave Phil a warning look and went back into the water.  
>Moments he came back up holding the tail of a mer-demon in his hand.<p>

"Kid I'm not going to ask." Phil said.

"Is she okay?"

"Uhm given she just fell in the water with the mer-demon….I doubt it." Phil replied unimpressed with Hercules' recent actions, flipping his hand up.

"Gah Phil do I have to do everything?"

"Look kid, do you think that she would have been happy with me giving her mouth to mouth resuscitation?"

Hercules looked at the girl. She had a pulse. He placed his lips on hers and started to try to put air in her lungs.  
>Suddenly she started to cough up water.<p>

"Are you alright?"

She looked up to see Hercules above her. Good so muscle-boy did save her. Hades was not going to hear the end of his one.

"*Cough* Yea I think so." She looked over to see the tail of the mer-demon on the ground. Damn those stupid pointy scales. "You…?"

Hercules noticed she was staring at the tail. "Heh, heh. Yea well I kind of had to…"

"We'll lucky for you this is the last time you'll be saving me." She went to get up, but fell back down instantly.

"Are you okay?"

She looked down to see the stupid mer-demon had cut her ankle up with his scales.

"You're ankle? Here let me help you." Without any warning he lifted her up and brought her over to a log, not too far from the water's edge.

"Thanks." She said, "But really I have to go…"

He grabbed her hand. "You can't go on that ankle. Otherwise I may have to save you again." He hadn't meant it as flattery; he was serious.

She raised her eyebrow at him. "Look that was the last time you will be saving me. Okay?"

"How come every time I look you're getting in trouble over Hades?" He said grabbing his cape and ripping it off to wrap around her ankle.

"Look you should know of all people, a deals a deal. I…" She looked down. Her ankle was wrapped up now. "Wow, thanks." She thought to herself, "This is going to be easier than I thought."

"So what is this deal?"

"Ugh, if this will stop you from saving me I'll tell you…but this isn't the first time I've made a deal with Hades."

"What? Why would you make a deal with him twice?"

"If you really have to know…a long time ago, my brother got sick. Our parent's died when we were young. It was an illness, so basically there was no way of saving him. I prayed to all the gods of Olympus to help him but none answered. Finally I gave up. Until one day I prayed one last time; I didn't care who answered me. I didn't direct it. I basically said I'd do anything…that's when Hades answered. Basically I made a deal; he would save my brother if I did what he told me too; basically his soul for mine. He already was trying to plan out a way to destroy his brother. I was young then. I did everything that he told me too…until one day he told me he had recruited someone else. My brother was well on his way to recovery and I couldn't even spend time with him…that's when he came to my help one last time." Hercules watched as the black haired woman looked down with a look of shame in her eyes.

"Melaina, what is it?"

"Call me Mel." She looked up and smiled, before pulling out her shame face. "Here comes the kicker …" She thought to herself, inwardly smiling.

"He told me if I got rid of a certain boyfriend of his new recruit than I could be free…which meant that that I could be with my brother...because well he'd have her."

Hercules looked at her sympathetically. "Did you do it?"

"I think you know the answer to that one." She looked up at him, guilty and sad.

He thought for a minute. A girl that had her boyfriend stolen and worked for Hades? Oh, wait, it couldn't be…Meg? His eyes opened wide as he looked down at the girl that had been the start of Meg's carrier as Hades' hench-girl…._Hades._


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Weak Ankles – the ultimate weapon for deception **

"Meg?"

"Look I'm sorry." She turned away quickly. She smiled when he couldn't see her. She could be a professional actor with these lines. "I didn't know I was doing that much damage! I swear." She pulled her eyes back to him giving him a guilty glance. " I was supposed to flirt with him but that dog just ran right after me. I saw Meg after she was heartbroken. Honestly ….he wasn't good enough…for any girl. Then again I know what it's like being caught in one of those relationships too…"

She saw him glance down at her. She kept her head down and kept talking.

"But I felt terrible. I told myself I'd try to fix things but when I saw my brother happy I just couldn't."

He looked down at her again trying to get a glance at her, now both sitting on the log. When she looked up she seemed really torn up about it…but he wanted to be mad at her for Meg's sake…but he couldn't ignore her side of the story either. He never had a brother so he never knew, but he had Pegasus who he'd pretty much do anything for…but somehow the horse versus human thing didn't exactly equal up. He looked down to see her ankle. That's when it dawned on him; it was all Hades' fault. His fists clenched with a small wave of anger.

"Look, after that all happened I told myself I wouldn't get messed up in stuff like that but when my brother got sick again…" She tore her eyes from his and looked away, rocking slightly, seeming angry with a hint of resentment in her voice.

"Uh, well maybe I could get someone to help your brother…I mean I could get some doctors or something?" He didn't know what else to suggest; but it seemed anyone would do him a favor like that now a days.

"Uh…well…it's not that easy. I mean originally when he was diagnosed the doctor said there was nothing to do for him…uh…plus he moved away with my aunt and uncle. They could only support one of us so I figured it would be best for him to go…" Good save she thought.

"Well I mean I have Pegasus, we could go get them?" He pointed his thumb back at Pegasus who had been grazing, purposely ignoring his statement.

God this boy really didn't give up. "Uhm well…I'm really not sure where they live…it was quite far away…Athens I think. But when they sent me that message that he got ill again…I knew I had to go to Hades' anyway."

"Wait, didn't Hades already save him from death as part of the original deal?"

"From the first time he was sick…but Hades can't cure sickness…just stop death. But this time, I'm scared that the illness is so bad that without Hades stopping his death, he'll never get better…and well die. So basically I'm bound to this gig until either my brother gets better or…"

It didn't take Hercules much to see that the alternative was for her own death, which was a terrible alternative. It was how Meg got out of her last deal; which made him angry remembering almost loosing Meg. If it wasn't for his trade off and getting rid of Hades….at least temporary, he didn't want to think of where Meg would be.

She realized he was deep in thought. She'd done enough for today.

"Look thanks for listening, but I have to go…" She went to get up. Mel knew that now, with her sob story in play that the next time he got in trouble Herc might get more attached or at least start standing up for her against Hades. She was satisfied with her work. She got up and took a step forward to leave, when her scratched up ankle gave out.

"Woah!" Hercules caught her before she would have fallen face first to the ground.

"Crap!" She thought. "Hades is going to pay for this damage."

"Uh, you can't go anywhere on that ankle." Hercules said steadying her back on her feet.

"Well excuse my weak ankle, but I really do have to go. The sun will be setting soon and…."

"No way. Look there is a spare bedroom back at…"

"No-no-no. If Meg sees me she'll freak. She knows yours truly as the girl that stole her boyfriend. :

"But that wasn't your fault it was Hades' deal?"

"Try tellin that to a broken hearted soul bound girl…and I'm not talking about me."

Hercules thought for a moment. Meg did get pretty witty and she did put up quite a fight. Somehow it was her strength that made her so attractive. Mel was right though.

"Uhm look I'll keep Meg away; don't worry nobody ever uses it anyway." He flipped his hand shrugged as if it was no biggie. Phil and Pegasus gave sideways glances to each other.  
>She looked at him…this could be another opportunity.<p>

"Yea well morning comes; I'm out. Otherwise Hades' will lose his jets."

"Think of it as a friend helping a friend." He smiled and picked her up off of her ankle and placed her on Pegasus' back.

Friend helping friend eh? She thought. This may make things a lot easier.

"Uhm are you sure this is okay?" She gave a sharp glare at Pegasus when he wasn't looking.

"Yea it's fine. It won't be long plus we'll have to land before we get there anyway."

"Okay…" she said raising her eyebrow. So she'd be at his place, Meg was there, Hercules was sneaking her in, and "friends" was a step up from acquaintances and closer to…speaking of which…

Pegasus was getting ready to take off and galloped a bit. Mel, on cue, let out a little squeal.

"Are you okay?"

"Yea, I'm fine."

"Hey Phil how are you getting back?"

"Don't worry kid, I'll just walk because jeez, I walked to the stadium and then I walked here so I might as well…"

"Thanks Phil!" He said as they flew off, Melaina wrapping her arms "scared" around Herc's waist.

"Jeez that kid wouldn't know sarcasm if it hit him in the face…crap i got another fur wedgy." Phil said walking in the direction of Herc's place.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Breaking Dishes Up In Here All Night**

She had hung closely to Hercules on the horseback flight to his large home. Playing the innocent and scared was an easy feat for her. They hit ground when the moon was already up in the sky. He jumped off of Pegasus first and then assisted Mel to the ground.

"Phil…hey Phil? You here yet?" He looked around in the dark for his short friend.

"Cough…cough…huff…Over here…" He was out of breath and emerged from the bushes after running, trying to keep up with the flying steed.

"Shh! Can you bring Mel to the guest room…I'll go find Meg." He said now in a whisper.

"Sure, sure kid. Whatever you say." He said now bent over from being out of breath, with a sarcastic tint to his words.

"Will you be okay?" Hercules said to Melaina before leaving.  
>"I'll be fine." She said, as he nodded running over to the entrance of what might as well have been a palace.<p>

"Common hun, we gotta get you into that room." Phil grabbed Mel's hand and she bent down stumbling behind him as they left for the spare room.

When she got there, which had taken a little while considering that she had been basically hoping on one foot, she realized the room was enormous. Pillars, a large bed, a desk with a mirror, curtains, tile floors…she could go on.

"You don't need any help getting _situated_?" Phil asked in another meek provocative attempt to attract a girl.

"Thanks but I can handle myself. Why don't _you_ get going shorty?" She said sitting down on the bed, giving the goat an unimpressed look.

Phil turned around. "That's what I get for helping a damsel out." He muttered to himself leaving the room.

"Well this isn't too bad…" She said aloud to herself. "I could get used to this." She smiled a sly smile. Suddenly she heard two birds chirping from a high up window.

"Oh look who it is; two cute little birdies, sing me a song wont-cha?" She said sarcastically.

"Look sister, you almost got us swallowed by a sea-demon!"

"Yea, yea, and I was bate!"

"Speak for yourself; I got dragged down by that damn thing myself. Look just tell Hades I won't be needing too many more of his dumb monsters."

"Oh and why is that?"

"Because he can come here later tonight, and if my plan goes right, he'll have a nice little chance to get his little Megera back."

"Oh will he?"

"Yep, now go tweet somewhere else." She dismissed them flicking her hand.

"Pfft, you better sister." Pain said before the two flew off.

"Hmm, now to go about doing this I definitely should…" She walked over to the large door and opened it a crack. This way in the dark, if she were to light a candle anyone walking past would clearly see someone preoccupying the room. Now how to make some noise. A crashing sound possibly? She looked around the room moving her eyes from object to object. Ahh, that vase would do just fine.

"Hey Meg, I'm home!"

"Heya Herc, how'd the training session go today with ol' hoof feet over there?"

"Uhm," Hercules started putting his hand behind his head, "good."

"That's it? Good?"

"Well yea, I mean I guess you could say the east river is a little more accessible now…"

" Yea well Mr. do- right over there got rid of fish breath because he had to get all heroic again…" Phil said fuming into the room.

"Heroic?"

"Uhm, yea just a local wanted the mer-demon gone so I…"

"You killed it?" Meg asked.

He just nodded.

"Wow, Wonder-boy I didn't think you still had it in ya." She went over to him and punched him lightly in the arm, smiling. "Guess nanny-goat's got you back to that hero stuff for real?"

"Naaaaany goat?" Phil asked offended slightly repeating the a vowel like a goat would unintentionally. "Well I'm going to bed…goodnight." He said this quickly and rhetorically, before stomping off in the other direction.

"What's wrong with him?" Meg asked.

"Couldn't tell ya…" Hercules said confused by Phil's anger; ignorant of all the "suffering" that he went through today.

"Well Herc, I'm off to bed. Goodnight." She said before kissing him on the cheek lightly and walking off toward her room.

Hercules couldn't sleep just yet; he had too much on his mind with Hades back, hiding Mel out in the spare room, and keeping Phil and Meg happy…not to mention finding a time to propose to Meg. It just didn't seem to be the right time for that right now…not because he didn't want to…it's just he wanted any more conflict; it had to be over before they settled down. Sure, she was living with him in the same house…we'll let's be real his "house" was huge, but she didn't really have anywhere else to stay. No real family apparently. He had at least four bedrooms, three of which were _normally_ occupied. But tonight it seemed the forth had found someone to lie in its bed. Speaking of which; he hadn't had time to think much about this Mel girl; just today he found out that she was the cause for Meg's deal; or at least part of it. But her story was pretty tragic too…and was just as lonely as Meg. Hades disgusted him. The fact that he was back and trying to make more havoc made him even angrier. What did it take to get that guy to give up? Hercules was sitting down thinking about this when he heard a large crash. This also followed by a scream, a door slamming and some female yelling coming from the hall.

* * *

><p><em><strong>...OOOOOOH SNAP. Cat fight? What went down ? What the heck does Devilish Mel got cookin up in hereee!<br>Aha, sorry just had to get that out. Hope you like the premise; from here on in it gets a lot more deep into the plot and interesting as you can see…  
><strong>_

_**PS! If you like this story and are a Disney fan please go look at my new Peter Pan fan-fic called Ever Never Land. (WendyXPeter)  
>I just started it, and its kinda like this one! It's going to have some love, some jealousy, a fairy, some "kisses", some mermaids, a handkerchief, a boy named James, a room, a new gown, a necklace…are we still talking about the Peter Pan fan-fic? YEP. I gotta plot line that's ready to role if more people review it and read it … after watching the Disney movie I couldn't resist. So please take a peak! Thanks!<strong>_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Whisking through a Web of Lies And Deals with the Devil of Despise**

Mel was staring at Meg, smirking.

"Why are you here?" Meg asked desperate for an answer.

"Because you're dear Hercules saved my life, quite the little boyfriend you've got. Funny how history repeats itself eh Meg-er-a?" She teased.

"Wonder-boy never would help someone like you."

"On the contrary, he did." Mel continued. "He knows both sides to your story now so…"

"There are not two sides to my story." Meg said storming towards Mel causing her to back up."You will not…get away…with…"

Mel just as perfectly felt her foot hit something. She fell back all too gracefully and her hand flung back all too precisely to hit the large vase. "I think I just did."

Meg fumed.

Just then Hercules came in. "What's going on?" He asked in an innocent confusion.

"How about you tell me Herc?" Meg said walking up to him. "How could you?"

"Meg I can explain…" He said looking down at the desperately enraged brunette in front of him. Then he glanced past to see Mel on the floor in the middle of shattered glass. "Mel, are you alright?"

"I think so." Mel said brushing her ebony black hair out of her face and adjusting her dress. Hercules gave her a hand to help her up.

"What happened Meg?" Hercules asked.

"What happened? Melaina's here that's what." Meg started. "Hercules, do you know what she did to me?"

"Yea…" He said sheepishly, "But she got hurt too. She never meant to do that to you?"

"Oh? Mel just happened to tease my boyfriend for fun just to see me get hurt?" Meg said.

"No Meg, it was Hades."

"Hades? Look Hades is one hell of a rat, but she is a snake. She's the reason that I got tied up in the first place with that…that creep."

"But didn't you make the deal anyway to save him?" Hercules deducted innocently.

"Yes, but I could have at least had him…then…I had nothing." Meg's temper was in full throttle, just as she had often been like when dealing with Hades himself.

"Look, Meg at least let her stay, she hurt her ankle at one of Hades' monsters and…"

"Hades monsters?"

"Yes, well Hades happens to be back. Why do you think I was helping her anyway?"

"Hades is…" Meg couldn't finish her sentence. "She has to leave. I can't do this." Her knees buckled underneath her as she stumbled to stay standing.

"Look Meg…I…" He walked back over to Meg. "I…I'm sorry. I just didn't want to scare you. He just can't keep trapping innocent girls like this…you know what it's like."

"Innocent? Herc, she's not innocent she's…"

"What?"

"Gone…"

Hercules looked over to see Mel had left the room. She couldn't have gone far with her ankle. "Meg, I have to help her. Hades will kill her after all of the monsters I've…"

"Hercules, you can't. Don't get messed up in all this again. She's not…"

"Meg, you lied to me and you still mean the world to me…let me at least try to help someone else who doesn't have a world." He ran away after a short embrace of holding Meg after the girl.

**...**

Mel had been stumbling away but even she was happy with her performance. Hell, she barely had to say a word; her lies had done the talking for her. Hopefully dumb and dumber had told Hades to go claim his prize, because soon she would have hers. She was far enough away that she could not walk. If her plan went right, Hercules would be running after her to save her from Hades' hands…even though Hades' hands wouldn't even dare touch her. She gave him this plan and he'd better roll with it if he ever wanted to up his godly status.

**...**

Meg had been dazed from the encounter. She walked into the garden and sat on the bench.

"No way this is happening." She said to herself. "This better not be my rotten judgment back to hit me. But no way is that black haired demon going to steal away my Hercules. She just can't." She looked into her reflection and then brushed it with her hand. She slumped down, hands folded in her lap.

Suddenly she heard a ripping noise and looked around to see a dark grey smoke forming at one of the statues, and before she knew it, it was bent in half and the god of the dead was standing in front of her.

"Where could she…" He was looking around and then spotted Meg. "Meg, my little nut-meg, my sweet. You wouldn't happened to have seen an old friend of yours coming through way?" He walked over to her.

"I'm sorry I'm done talking to the devil." She stood up and turned away with disgust in her voice.

"Well actually I don't think you are. You see…" He started appearing in front of her. "I think you know where a certain girl named Mel, is, and well…I can't really imagine that you are actually friends with her…so you should tell me where she went…"

"How would I know where she went, probably running off to go play her games with Wonder-boy." Her voice started strong but at "Wonder-boy" it altered quickly. Hades' noticed it. So Mel was playing her part.

"So you do know where she went."

"If I do what would it matter?" She thought for a moment. "You weren't the one to make a deal with Mel to take my…"

Hades saw where this was going. "No, Meg my sweet, she basically handed you on a platter to me. Played her way out of her deal with you."

"I knew it. Look, I'm done playing games with you. Our already deal ended a while ago, so just get out of here." Meg said.

"Actually, there is something about a deal I needed to speak to you about…Meg my sweet."

"What?" She turned to him, hand on hip, unimpressed but his marry-go-round words.

"Well you see, Herc, or Wonder-boy said he would trade your soul in for his in my ongoing river of death, but if I recall I don't have his soul so technically I need it for our deal to be made."

"You can't get Wonder-boy! He's basically a god!"

"Mhm, mhm, I know. But he'd give up his life if he knew I would have to take yours."

"No he wouldn't. And you wouldn't win anyway, you can't beat him."

"You're right. But that would mean that I would own you."

"How?" Meg looked astonished.

"The trade was never made, honey. But I could give you another deal that might be worth your while."

"Don't' even go there."

"Fine , fine you'll belong to me again, and maybe I'll just let Mel go to go frolic with your Wonder-boy; sound good?"

"Ugh, I'll listen to it but that's it."

"Fine, fine." Hades said to her smug, shrugging his shoulders. "If you can keep Herc away from trying to save my Mel, then you keep your freedom. As long as I have her I don't need you. But if Herc gets  
>all noble and saves her, and you fail at keeping him away, you'll take her place."<p>

"There's no catch, because no matter what you can't hurt Hercules?"

"Of course not, he's basically a god anyway." Hades said shrugging off the term. "You don't tell Hercules, I keep our deal a secret, we kiss, we schmooze, I get Mel back and everyone's on their way. Deal?"

Meg looked at the hand in front of her. She knew that if she didn't make this deal she would be done for and her soul would belong in Hades' hands. Plus that Mel didn't even tell Hercules the truth that she  
>was the one that took her boyfriend for freedom not Hades. But it was Hades she was making a deal with…no. If she told Hercules not to go running off with another girl he would. He wasn't like those other guys. He was nice, kind, and truthful…for the most part. She couldn't leave him again…<p>

"I'll do it." She reluctantly put out her hand.

"Done." Hades said shaking her hand. "So what way did they go?"

"Not sure, out of the place probably?" Meg said walking away, ignoring his statement.

"Thank you, Meg my sweet, nice doing deals with you." And with that the god of the underworld vanished from the night air.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Deals a Deal, A Lie is a Lie, The Truth is Hard to Come By**

Hercules finally caught up with Melaena. She was sitting on a public bench in the middle of a small open park area in the downtown of the city. He walked up to her.

"Are you okay?"

"You shouldn't be hear. With all this ruckus Hades is sure to find me, and you don't want to give him reason to pursue you again." She looked down and diverted her stare from him.

"You know, I'm sure Meg didn't mean it as much as it seemed." He tried to make her feel better.

"I'm sure your wrong. She has every right to be angry with me, even if I did do it under Hades demands it was my decision to go through with it."

"But you would have lost everything?"

"I know. Hell, I'm not the only one whose made bad decisions because of Hades."

"What do you mean?" He sat down beside her. He hated leaving Meg, but Mel was so vulnerable with Hades trailing her every move.

"Meg." She said finally pulling her gaze to his. "She deceived you for her freedom, and yet she finds what I did so much worse…it's not fair you know."

Hercules eyes widened. She was right, Meg had done a similar thing, and she had payed the price. I guess this was Melaena's way of paying the price; another life long sentence with Hades and the cold shoulder from Meg. She looked so desperate.

"Did you listen to what I said before? Leave. Leave before Hades comes here."

"I'm not just leaving you. Meg needs to …cool off a bit. I can keep you safe for the time being."

"You know what's going to happen…"

"What?"

"One day you're going to have to choose between her or me, don't make the mistake in getting yourself all wrapped up in this again." She got up off the bench and leaned against a tree head to the ground.

"I…" He got up from the bench but didn't know what to say.

Suddenly a loud crack got both of their attention as the tree she was leaning on split into two and a cloud of grey smoke left them gagging, revealing a not so welcome god.

"Ah, ah, ah what do we have here? A little Mel-ody with an old enemy." He instantly grabbed Mel's shoulders. She gave him a disgusted look.

"Leave her alone." Hercules threatened.

Hades mocked him. "Her?" He said pointed her Mel. "What happened to your little Nut-Meg who so wonderfully got me in that damned position a year ago?"

"She's safe at home. Don't you dare lay a finger on her."

"Meg? Nah, she's old news. Meg and I are…_on good terms_." Hades explained with a cool sound to his voice. "Now why would a Demi-god like you go messing up my plans once again?" He lost that coolness just as quick.

"You prey on innocent people just so they can do your dirty work!"

"Prey? No, no I made a deal. I stand true to my deals don't I Mel?" He gave her a look. She crossed her arms and looked away.

"So do I." She answered with defiance.

"Oh really? Than why do I keep noticing that all the monsters that I get you too recruit seem to make their way back to me in a less than physical form?"

"They make offers I have to refuse." She answered with bitterness.

"So you kill them?" He asked with skepticism.

"It was me. I got rid of them." Hercules intervened.

"Now there's the missing piece to the puzzle." He said with sarcasm. "Look you go on your own way _Herc, _and if you're smart you wont go getting into my business."

"And if not?"

"Then consider Mel gone."

"But my brothe…"She started to say running up to Hades, but instead she was gagged with a grey rope of gas, and she disappeared just as quickly.

Hercules watched it, in the same way that he had seen Meg disappear from his eyes as a bargaining chip, when he gave his strength away. He wouldn't be a pawn again.

"You let her go!"

"Deals a deal Herc. She's mine. Now I'm just giving you a fair warning, come after her again and you'll pay the price."

"Was that a threat?"

"Nahhh, just a recommendation." Hades said flipping his hand brushing it off before disappearing in the night just as quickly.

Hercules punched a nearby tree in frustration. He knew that he had to go back to Meg, but after? What could he do? He couldn't risk putting Meg in trouble again, but Mel was going to go through hell probably all because he intervened? And her brother… His head spun with these questions as he whistled for Pegasus, and jumped on; hoping the ride home would clear his head.

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><p><em><strong><strong>_

_**Sorry about not updating sooner, it seems that I just keep making more stories and drowning myself in them all unfinished, so I'm going piece by piece. Plus applying for Uni is had its toll too.  
>Any way what did you think? I will be updating this one again soon ! Promise!<strong>_


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Good Girls Go Bad**

"Nice acting Tots." Hades said between slurping back worms on his throne.

"I could say the same to you. You get Meg on the hook?"

"Hook, line and sinker baby."

"Good. So we should expect some drama in the next little while."

"Give it some time. Let it all pan out. Now all we have to do is sit back and wait for the chaos to start." Hades said leaning back into his throne. "I love this part. You sure you got Herc chasing you?"

"Don't question my man handling abilities."

"Heh, hey I won't. Seems something that Meg didn't have you seem to have plenty of." Hades said smiling while rolling his eyes.

"Yea, but that's what's worrying me. She's got this hook on him. This goody two shoes act that just seems to reel him in. When did guys start going for the good girl and not the bad girl act?" Mel said raising her eyebrow thinking aloud.

Hades remembered Meg. She wasn't exactly a good girl, but she was independent. Plus she had to be so damn noble. On the other hand, he'd recruited her because little Nut-Meg did have the looks, and a lot of monsters went for that now a days. Easier to say yes to a girl with the right curves, then a man with all the wrong ones. Now he'd have her back, and he'd make sure he'd make Hercules hate that he'd ever made a deal with him. He smiled a sly smile.

"What is on _your _mind flame-boy? You know what, I don't want to know." Mel said turning away. She wished she'd be able to relax like Hades, but all of this depended on, what did she call him? _Wonder-boy's_actions to come crawling back to her.

* * *

><p>Hercules landed in the middle of the garden to see Meg still sitting there. She always went there went she had something on her mind. He crawled off Pegasus quietly and started to walk over to her.<p>

"Uh Meg?"

"What?" She said sighing at the same time.

"Meg, you really have to understand, just because I'm with you doesn't mean I can't abandon my hero job."

"I thought you wanted that to get to Mount Olympus?"

"Well yea, but now that I'm still on earth; it's a full time thing. I'm here with you for now… I mean well…"

"For now? What do you mean?"

Crap. He couldn't spill the beans about his wedding gift. Hell he hadn't even proposed.

"I meant that…you know I have to go help her again. I will never actually leave you Meg, I just can't stand around while people get hurt."

"Hercules you can't!" Meg said suddenly realizing that if he did go back her deal with Hades would be instantly broken.

"Did she really hurt you that bad Meg?" Hercules said concerned.

"You really don't know what it's like to get hurt. How much people lie in the real world."

"I do though."

"You do?" She said looking at him with surprised eyes.

"Meg, you hurt me. You saved me and it changed everything. You lied to me. That's what Mel did to you for the same reason; freedom." He remembered what Mel had told him earlier.

"But it's not true. I just talked to Hades, and it's not her. She did it."

"She…wait you talked to Hades?"

"I…uh.."

"Meg how could you?"

"You didn't even tell me he was back. You held it from me. He came here looking for Mel and he answered my questions."

"You told him where Mel was didn't you?" Hercules said accusingly.

"So what if I did." She said giving him an angry threatening tone she'd only ever used on Hades.

"Meg, I thought you were better than that." Hercules said, his eyes lingering on some last hope she might be lying to him, or planning on apologizing, until he left to jump onto Pegasus.

She tried to stop him but her voice wouldn't come out. "What have I done…" She said. She didn't know how to get to Hade's domain without Hades, and she didn't have a flying horse. It all seemed so hopeless…She sat down on the fountain edge again. That was until she heard a clip clop coming closer to her.

"What is with all this rucus? Where is Hercules?" Phil said walking over, looking tired.

"Phil, do you know how to get to the Underworld?" Meg asked.

"Should I answer that question?" He said self-contemplating.

"PHIL!"

"Okay okay. I know."

"Good, now take me there."

She said grabbing his hand and running out of the park before he got to say another word.


	14. Chapter 14

_Firstly who gave me a review with a wink face? Its bugging me because it is Anonymous and slightly creepy givin there is nothing in this story worth wink-facing…So whoever you are can you please explain your spontaneous winking?...-_- thanks? ...not that i'm offended or want to come off b*tchy but...  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14: The Price to Pay<strong>

He found the entrance to the Underworld easily. Not many mortals could find it, but if you knew the gods personally it wasn't a problem. The entrance wasn't hard to get by, and having a flying horse to get over the river of death was no problem for Hercules. Cerberus held no problem for the strength of Hercules, and already cowered from the last time that he had saved Meg from Hades. He was about to enter the throne room when he heard something.

"Hercules!" A voice whispered.

He looked around and saw Mel peaking out from behind a pillar of granite rock.

"Mel!" He said before walking over to her, making sure nobody was lurking in the shadows.

"Shh! If Hades sees you, one or both of us is in trouble. Why are you here? You're walking right into this, I don't see how you can help me?"

"I have to try something, this has gone on to long Mel."

"But if my brother…"

"I'll find a way to make him save your brother too."

"Look, go back to Meg and go on with your life. If Hades does anything worth telling, I promise to tell you."

"I can't go back to Meg right now…"

"What?" Mel looked at him. So Hades really did get her.

"She told Hades where you were, she's the reason that he found me."

"Oh…well he would have found me either way, but if you…"

"Just come with me."

"I can't. Hades isn't letting me leave the underworld until he's sure all of this is over. He's on thin ice with the other gods, and doesn't want you to mess up his plans anymore…"

"Precisely why I recommend you leave now, wonder-boy."

Hercules turned around to see Hades behind him.

"You can't stop her from leaving here?"

"Actually I can, you see her soul belongs to me…so…yea I can."

"Well let her go."

"Hey, weren't you supposed to be getting cozy with Meg, I mean common it's just Mel, she's doing this so I save her brother?" He winded his arm around Hercules to grab Mel and lifted her next to him, his ghostly grip still tight around her arm.

"You're telling me you can't do anything to save her brother?" Hercules said getting angry.

"Hey I just work within the rules of the job description, and if a deals made then I can save a few lives here and there, but HEY I'm not the one who makes the rules." He said bitterly.

"Then make a deal with me."

"I'd love to but I can't; Zeus would have my head, and lucky for you you're still a god. So you go, she stays; best offer I can give you."

"Hercules just go." Mel said from behind Hades.

"But Mel, what will you…" Hercules started.

"Leave her to me." Hades said pushing her back, causing her to trip on her bad ankle and fall to the ground.

"She got hurt because of you!" Hercules said angry with Hades.

"No Hercules, she got hurt because of you. Because you keep interfering with my plans once again." Hades said back rolling his eyes.

"Hercules!"

He heard his name and questioned the voice for a moment. "Meg?"

He turned around to see Meg and Phil following behind out of breath. "What are you doing here?"

"Please Hercules, don't do this. Come back with me!" Meg begged grabbing his arm.

"I can't just leave Mel here, I have to do something."

"Are you sure that's the choice you want to make?" Hades said smiling wickedly.

"I refuse to let innocent people get hurt." Hercules said stone like.

"Mhm, Mhm. So you want Mel to go then? And you won't leave?" Hades continued looking cocky, as if thinking out loud.

"Hercules, please you don't understand!" Meg said pulling on his arm.

"But Meg, I…" Hercules said looking at her desperate eyes.

"But if Mel leaves, then she breaks the promise for me to save her brother…" Hades continued as if the two weren't arguing, as Mel looked up to Hades from the ground.

"Mel, I…" Hercules turned to Mel, torn between what to do.

"It's fine. My brother's been suffering for too long…maybe it is his time for him to pass so this can all be over." She said quietly. Hercules helped her to her feet again.

"So new deal; you take Mel and I get her brother, you leave and never disturb me again?" Hades said now to Hercules.

Hercules looked at the hand. Was there any downside to this? He looked to Mel. She couldn't handle another run in with a monster. She hadn't slept, her ankle was still bruised, and she couldn't make it by herself if another monster decided she was part of the deal. He looked to Meg, who he wanted to spend his whole life with, and seemed to stare back at him with desperate eyes, like she knew something that was killing her. But Meg could still go on…._ They_ could still go on with their lives, even if Mel was free. If Mel was okay with her brother passing than shouldn't he just do it?

"Fine." Hercules said.

Hades snapped his fingers and Mel was free. "Oh and there is one little tiny detail I forgot to mention…"

Hercules head snapped up quickly as he had heard those words before, and "tiny details" to Hades were rarely tiny. He then heard a small gasp. He turned to see Meg collapse to the ground onto her knees with tears in her eyes.

"Meg's mine."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: Hope Lost**

"Let her go. Meg had nothing to do with this!"

"On the contrary, _Herc, _she did." Hades said bitterly. "You see Meg here, didn't just let me know where Mel was hiding. We had a nice chat, didn't we Meg?"

"Meg what's going on?" Hercules asked desperately.

"Hercules, I tried. I just didn't want this to happen again, I'm so sorry." Meg said.

"You see your little Nut-Meg here sold her soul to me, because if I recall correctly I'm supposed to have your soul winding around in my river of death."

"But I got Meg out of that deal; I saved her."

"Yea, with that god stuff, yada yada…but you see you didn't stay; and since I cant have your heroic Demi-god soul I had to take Meg's back."

"This is all your fault!" Hercules said to Hades in rage.

"Oh oh, but I don't think it is…you see Meg and I here had a deal that if you could stay away from saving Mel here, that Meg could stay up there. But since you had to be all noble and come save Mel, well I guess the blames on you lover-boy." Hades said now with Meg at his side.

"I tried to stop you; I tried to tell you, I just couldn't." Meg said desperately.

"Meg, I won't let this happen to you again!" Hercules said.

"That's really sweet and all, but a deals a deal." Hades said snapping his fingers as Meg was wrapped up in a twisted cloud of smoke and disappeared in front of his eyes. "As for you two free-bees; you better be on yourway. This isn't really a place for mortals." Hades left as the doors to his throne room closed behind him blocking Hercules from the room, with an iron close that even Hercules couldn't open.

He thrust his fists on the door in anger falling to his knees. He got up by the nudges of Pegasus who stayed close, with Phil just behind.  
>He looked around and didn't see Mel. He'd have to go back up and make sure she was okay before getting Meg back. Mel might be able to help him.<p>

* * *

><p>Mel already had left the underworld. She had to focus now on convincing Hercules that Meg was a lost cause. Hades had played his end of the bargain but now she had to perform hers.<p>

"Mel!"

She turned to see Hercules coming towards her.

"You should go, you've already done enough for me."

"Are you sure? What about your brother?"

"My brother's gone now. Any day I'll get a message from my aunt and uncle that he's passed."

"So cant you go find them?"

"No, they only took my brother in because he was sick…they never approved of either of us…plus I'll just be a burden. They never had much money anyway."

"So who do you have to go to?"

"Nobody. But its fine…you have to go save Meg right?" She looked up at him with big dark brown eyes.

"I want to, I just don't know how." He slumped down beside her on a bench.

"I'm not surprised Hades did that…he makes deals for a living so he can make his job more interesting. He'll never let you have her back if he knows its killing you."

"How could I have been so stupid?"

"You weren't stupid. You were the only person in my life who ever cared enough to help me out. I'm sorry you had to get mixed up in this…it's all my fault. I should have told you to leave me alone from the start.."

"But you did? If I didn't help you out you would have been killed by those monsters?"

"Maybe it would be better that way…" Mel said getting up to leave.

"No don't leave. You'd know how to get Meg back wouldn't you?" Hercules said.

"I don't. You can't trade your soul; you're too much of a god. But don't go back just yet…I have nobody…I don't want to be alone." She sat beside him, trying to comfort the hero for brownie points on winning his heart.

* * *

><p>"How could you do this to me?" Meg said arms crossed flinging herself away from Hades.<p>

"Honey, relax. All I asked is that you keep Hercules away from Mel, but instead what happens?" He walked up to her and figures in smoke appeared in front of her playing out the scene. "You sold your sole to keep Hercules debt free, and instead he's off gallivanting with the newly free Mel."

She whisked it away. "It's not like that. Hercules would never hurt me."

"Don't you see my little Nut-Meg?" He said putting his mouth to her ear, lifting the small piece of hair away from it.

"He's _exactly_ like every other guy."

* * *

><p><strong><em>Sorry for my lack of updates, ive been really busy but expect more soon! hope you like!<em>**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: Crossing the Line, To Impending Doom**

"Maybe you shouldn't go back."

"What do you mean?" Hercules looked at her in confusion.

She moved from the bench to the stone pathway. "I've always been alone. My brother's never been there for me. You don't know what it's like to feel so…alone."

"I do. Before I had all this; I was a boy with a klutzy strength that I didn't know what to do with. I was all alone…and then I found Meg." He got up following slightly behind.

"And Meg will be back and I'll be alone again…"

"It doesn't have to be that way…"

"What are we going to be, friends? Meg hates me for what I did to her, and sooner or later I wont matter anymore."

Hercules looked astonished. He'd never thought for a moment that Mel was attached to him; even considered him more then a rescuer, or even a friend.

Mel saw him stare. She had the bull-crap on high now...or was it all bull-crap? A part of her felt a twinge of guilt. Hercules was torn. She saw it in his eyes…so this was his weakness: girls.

"I'd never want anyone to feel the way I did; to feel lonely." He finally said.

"Then don't leave me." She said looking to him, her hard brown eyes staring intently at his.

"But Meg…"

"Meg told Hades where I was. She sold me in."

"She saved me."

"You couldn't have become part of the deal; you're a god he can't take your soul."

"No Meg, saved my life before that…because she loved me." He recalled the moment she saved him from the falling pillar.

"But what if…"

"If what?"

"Nothing." She said as she sat back down. " I should thank you for what you did for me; saving me from Hades...and all the monsters. I never really thanked you."

"It was nothing really." He sat down beside her again, hand behind his head in a shrug.

"It was. It was more then anyone's ever done for me."

"Well thank you for showing me that there are people like me who feel that same loneliness I did."

"Don't thank me just yet…" Mel said, before stopping herself, as that twinge of guilt hit her stomach again. She needed this feeling to go away; there was only one way she could think of doing that. There was a contradicting feeling in her chest; a feeling that wanted the guilt to go away. "Hercules, before you leave can you do me one last favor?"

"I guess, what is it?" He looked down at her.

"This." She knew what she needed to do, and she did it: she kissed him.

* * *

><p>"I'm leaving."<p>

"I'm sorry what?"

"I told you I'm leaving."

"I'm sorry I must have some Brimstone stuck in my ear, did you just say you're _leaving_?" Hades asked, putting his finger in his ear as if clearing it out staring that the enraged Megera.

"You can't stop me."

"I own your soul."

"So what are you going to do you own me for the rest of my life anyway. I'm going to find Hercules."

"Mhmm, mhm…so you're just going to get Charon to bring you through the river of death, and walk right past my three headed canine to the exit of the underworld…Yea sorry my little Nut-Meg but I don't think so."

"How are you going to stop me?"

"Do you really want me to answer that question?" Hades glared an evil smile her way and she felt herself become engulfed in those god awful gas like confines before feeling herself black out.

"Where did she go boss?" Pain asked.

"Simple boys. I'll keep her in the upstairs room until she decides not to leave."

"She's going to keep trying to leave? What about then?" Panic asked.

"Simpler boys. Do you know what the fruit of the underworld is?"

"Uhm an apple?" Pain asked.

"No, no a grape?" Panic asked following Hades through rooms of blue gases, and grey fog.

"They could work, but their not the real underworld fruit boys. Think a little more seed like."

"Oh I know I know…" Panic started. "…no I don't."

"A tomato?" Pain asked.

"Nope. Tell me what you see on this little baby." He said walking into a room with a hill of grey grass, and a looming black tree, hanging in the way a you would expect to see from a haunted house on Halloween. The demons looked at the tree and saw red-purple colored fruit hanging off of the deadly tree, and continued to stare in question.

"Pomegranates boys, Pomegranates."

"What's so special about these?" Pain said kicking a dead one on the ground, and when the rotted fruit rolled, the one side looked like a hollowed skull, red with the rotting skin on it.

"Ughhh, that's nasty." Panic said whimpering away.

"A few seeds from these my boys and Meg wont be able to leave the underworld." Hades said plucking a ripe one from the tree.

"How does that work?"

"Simple boys, this is the fruit of the underworld, and underworld food condemns you to live here once eaten, as prophesied by the three fates."

"But what happens _if _she leaves the underworld?"

"Yea, what _if_?"

" _If _ is a very dangerous word boys."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: The Strength of the Heart, Or the Illusion of the Lie**

"Mel, I can't." Hercules caught himself in the kiss, and pushed her lightly away by her shoulders. "I have to go help Meg. Hades can't hide her from me; my father is Zeus…I'll talk to him again."

"Ugh Herc, you really are persistent." Mel shrugged. "Zeus can't help you. Hades deals come with the job description; you owe a god something you pay up."

"There has got to be a way." Hercules said, pacing back and forth.

"You're so lucky you're half god."

"What?"

"You're basically a god. You can't owe your soul to anyone, you don't have to swim in a river of death when you die…you're never really alone." Mel struck words true to her heart. She'd been without her brother for about two years; she'd had a few boyfriends on and off but none that ever took. Her aunt and uncle didn't need her; an extra mouth to feed, and she was an adult now. She'd always had to take what wasn't hers in life in order to survive. She hated how moral she was thinking, but Hercules really was too noble and just for his own good.

"Life as a god is nice, but it's not the same as being human…it's almost too easy." Hercules said remembering all the pain he went through to reach his goal on Olympia when in the end, being a god would be too easy of a way to live; to easy to run from what he'd made for himself on earth with Meg.

"Sometimes it's nice for life to be easy; it's hard to survive when life's this hard." Mel said getting up from the bench, walking away.

"It doesn't always have to be that way."

"How would you know? You're a famous, rich, hero and everyone loves you."

"I didn't start out that way."

"Yea well I don't think I'm going to be a god or a world famous hero anytime soon." She laughed a breath half heartedly.

"Yea but you can try; help me rescue Meg. I won't let your life get any harder, I promise." Hercules said.

"How? Gonna make me a god?" She winked.

"Maybe not a god, but maybe a hero; if by the strength of your heart."

"You're good at those one liners eh?" She teased, giving him a slight punch in the arm.

"Heh, actually I stole that from someone."

"Well it worked. I'm in." She said as she smiled at him.

"Good, let's go." He said walking in front of her.

She watched him ahead of her. She wondered how this would go down…What was Hades going to do when they showed up? Would he figure it was part of the plan? Would he sell her out? How was he going to fight  
>Hercules' strength? How was Hercules going to keep his promise? Was Meg even going to accept having her around? Was she really going to save Meg after all of this or stay true to Hades? This would be interesting at the least.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Short chapter ; i know but i need to set up for the finale! Mel's getting a little less devious and a little more in touch with her feelings...or is she? Can she really change? And what's going to happen to Meg? The fruit of the underworld? ... On to the next chapter :)<em>


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: A Toast, A Toast to Deception and Revelation**

"What do you want?"

"Nothing Meg, my sweet, I just came to release you from your…confines." Hades said smugly as he let her out of the room, containing his tabled map of Greece with his miniature figurines.

"What put you in such a good mood Mr. hot head?" She asked raising her eyebrow, putting her hand on her hip.

"Nothing at all my little Nut-Meg, just satisfied with my…ahem…successful day."

"Don't count on it being too successful; what's the job you got for me?"

"Ah, ah Meg…don't think I don't know what you're thinking. I put you up top and you go running for your Hercules."

"Sorry, I didn't count on your being so smart." She said with poison on her lips.

"I even surprise myself sometimes my Nut- Meg. Now I do have one job for you…"

"You say it, I do it…" She said rolling her eyes.

"Accept my apology?"

"You, apology?" Meg said looking skeptical.

"Hey, even the king of the dead makes a few mistakes; I kinda acted like a…jerk. Yada, yada, yada…now would you accept it?"

"Not one bit." She scowled at him.

"Awh common, my little Nut-Meg. You forgive me, and I might let you out for a bit…to catch me…a Minotaur?" He said half not paying attention.

"You're going to let me out?"

"If you accept my apology? A toast to our new-old found partnership?" Suddenly two glasses of whine showed up in front of them in Hades' hands.

She thought for a moment, looking skeptically at Hades. Forgiveness for a free pass for the outside world? Something was up… "What's the catch?"

"You can't go within 50 meters of Wonderboy."

"That's it?"

"Meg, really? I mean come on?"

She looked at him. _She _couldn't go within fifty meters of Wonderboy, but it didn't mean Hercules couldn't find her.

She'd figure it out when she got up there. That was the main thing racking her mind.

"Fine." She took the glass and sniffed it. It smelt like wine…dark red wine.

"Toast to having my little Nut-Meg back, just like the _old times._" He smiled wickedly before they both had a sip.

Meg drank the liquid when at the last bit she almost choked. Something was in that drink, something small, something that she felt sliding down her throat.

"Cough, cough. What was that?" She leaned over, as the she coughed from the unexpected consumption of whatever it was.

"Oh and did I forget to mention the extra ingredient? You see Meg, I couldn't have you going to see Wonderboy so I gave you food from the underworld; pomegranate seeds the fruit of the underworld." He smiled cruelly.

She felt the glass fall out of her hand and crash to the floor breaking the silence, where the words wanted to spill hateful words at the evil god.

"Sir Hercules is at the gate to the underworld!" Panic said running to the lord of the dead.

"And he's got Mel with him!" Pain added.

"Mel? Mel shouldn't be here, unless she's gone soft, but she wouldn't …" He murmered to himself.

"They're going to break in to get Meg back!" Panic said running around scared like a chicken with it's head cut off.

"HE WILL NOT GET IN HERE AND RUIN MY PLANS!" Hades yelled, calming the two to a standstill. "Wooh, I'm cool." Hades said breathing out. "Close the gate boys before they come in, I want it locked so even the souls can't get to the underworld. Nobody gets in; only we can get out got it!" Hades commanded.

"Yes, your lugubriousness." Pain said before running off to the gate.

"Now I better make sure Wonderboy doesn't ruin my plans again." Hades left in a huff, leaving Meg to the broken glass. She tried to throw up, but the wine and pomegranate stayed grounded in her stomach. She knew not to eat in the underworld, and she never did. Liquids never were a problem…but pomegranate seeds? What would happen if she actually left the confines of the underworld? She only consumed one, so the effect must pass at some point?

Then Hades few words started to linger over her head. Something about Mel…Hercules could be in trouble. It didn't phase her to think Mel might be in with another scheme of Hades' and she didn't want to stay here like a damsel in distress. Then another one of Hades' words came into her mind:

"Nobody gets _in, _only _we _can get _out._"

* * *

><p><em><strong>So i wanted to incorporate the idea of Persephone, and the pomegranate seeds; call this the try out run with Meg before he actually gets to it. The only question is...if pomegranate seeds force an immortal to return to the underworld after they leave...then what does pomegranate seeds to do a mortal after they leave? <strong>_

_**And what about this Mel business? Hmm... ;)**_


	19. Chapter 19

_WHO EVER SENT ME THE WINK ON THE MESSAGES this isn't a flirting site, give me some criticism or praise, but I don't need random anonymous winks on my story. Thank you. A wink is not a review.  
>(Sorry but I needed to get that out there)<em> _I don't know you, so either get an account or stop winking. – Brianna aka purpledancer69  
>(ps. Fun fact: I did the 69 as a cancer symbol for the horoscope, not the other thing…just to clarify.) <em>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 19: And It all Falls Apart<strong>

"I can't get in." Hercules said as he looked at the gates, the gates to the underworld that he had so recently opened remained closed. Closed to his godly strength, closed to his pleas.

"He must have known we were coming." Mel said rather nervously. She wanted nothing more then for Hercules to leave and give up, but she knew he wasn't. She was walking on glass tiles here, and she didn't like it.

"Pain and Panic…his demons probably saw us. How am I going to get Meg back now?" He smashed his fists on the doors in hopelessness and anger.

Mel watched as he slid down to a kneeling position, as if all hope had been stomach turned; what was with all this guilt lately?

Suddenly the doors cracked open, as if the hopelessness had gave way to the doors, and a small hand slept out.

"Meg?"

"Wonder-boy!" She said as she jumped into his arms. "I'm so sorry… I never should have..."

"Don't worry about it." He said as he set her down in front of her.

Mel watched as her plan crumbled before her; because Hades was leaving her a poor end of the bargain.

* * *

><p>"WHAT? How did Meg leave?"<p>

"We don't know, we looked around but she's not anywhere…"

"Wait, wait what IF she got out?"

"IF she got out, we'd be in trouble." Pain and Panic whispered to each other.

"How could she get out?" Hades asked them angered.

"Well you told us to lock the door so nobody to get in…" Pain admitted.

"Yea, yea and you s-said that just we should be able to get out." Panic finished.

"IF she got out boys, I will make a person note to maim you." He said putting his fingers to his forehead as if rubbing a headache, showing them he was fully aware of their what ifs.

They cringed as the followed him to the gate.

* * *

><p>"How did you get out?"<p>

"Hades left had dumb and dumber lock the gate to the underworld from the outside so only people can get out and not in. I just caught on in time to leave."

"That's great, but Hades will be coming for you any minute…" Hercules said worried.

"Wait Hercules, first I have to tell you something."

"What Meg?"

"Well first of all, she is not telling you the truth. She is in some kind of plan with Hades."

"What Meg that can't be right?" Hercules said taken back.

"And secondly I…"

"OH what a party it is out here."

"Hades." Hercules growled as he saw the god of death standing in the gates, with his demons behind.

"Hercules, nice to see you. But I think what Meg was going to say, is she may be feeling a little queasy right around now." He snapped his fingers, and Meg slipped down in Hercules arms as if her knees gave out.

"What did you do to her?" Hercules demanded.

"What did I do? Nothing at all. Why don't you tell him, my little Nut-Meg?" He said grabbing her face, and pushing it towards Hercules.

"I accidentally ate a pomegranate seed. Fruit of the Underworld…it's probably a side effect."

"But how?" Hercules asked wanting questions answered.

"Ahhh, the details aren't important but just realize that the longer she's out here she's going to get closer to death."

"Why? How'd this happen?"

"Eh, side effects are different. For god's they become stuck in the underworld whenever they ate them in the year. That's really why I don't entertain much…but on the other hands if humans eat food from the underworld, especially the pomegranate, well they have to stay in the underworld…yada, yada…but if they leave they die…acts like a poison…something along those lines…got it?" Hades said.

"Then Meg's got to get back to the underworld."

"Uhm I would say go right in, but it seems I had to lock the gate from the inside, so we can only get OUT not IN. And you want to know why? Because you, Wonder-boy had to get in the way of my plans, so now it's you're fault that Meg is going to be spinning in my river of death; and a deals a deal. You can't break it when you made it." He said to him.

"I'll save her again." Hercules retorted.

"You can, but I'll be after her for the rest of her life; because the deal that you made my dear almighty Herc, will shadow her for life…and death I guess."

Hercules looked down as Meg cringed in his arms, eyes drooping closed.

"Meg, I can't…I don't know…"  
>"It's okay Wonder-boy...I guess maybe it was meant to be." She smiled at him through the pain.<p>

"Meg's right you can't cheat death." Hades smiled relaxing satisfied with himself.

Mel watched this in horror. But wasn't this what she wanted? Wasn't this what the plan was? She'd betrayed Meg once before…but that time it didn't include her life…and what was she fighting for? She already had freedom…she was lonely sure…and she'd grown up bitter and independent but it hurt her to see, what she would have considered a prize, a man she actually felt for; Hercules in pain. Was it really worth all this to become a goddess?

"Stop this."

Hercules turned, after laying Meg down. Hades stared in awe, a long with the two demons at the girl who had laid down the map for this plan in the first place. Mel stood there to shaken to say any more.

"Mel, honey you're kidding me?" Hades asked.

"Leave Meg alone. This is enough."

"Don't tell me after all this you're going to get all noble on me? What is with you human women…" Hades said rolling his eyes.

"What's going on!" Hercules demanded.

Hades eyes widened as a sly smiled crossed his face, realizing Hercules was yet to have no clue of Mel's deal. He could turn this around, Mel was just collateral damage; he still had what he wanted on his end…for the most part.

"Oh you don't know do you Wonder-boy?"

"Hades don't you…" Mel looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"You see Mel has been working for me all along." He came over to her and pretended to dance with her, in a similar fashion that he once did to Meg.

"Meg was right? No…your lying."

"I'm not, why don't you tell him, Mel."

"Hercules I'm sorry, I was just jealous of what Meg had and I didn't…I didn't mean for it to go this far. I just wanted … I mean…"

"Yes, Herc, you could say I won this time. You really should pay more attention to the women you have in you're life…well I'm off, see ya."

And with that he disappeared leaving Meg to the ground dying, Hercules with lost hope, and Mel guilt ridden and broken on her knees.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20: Dealing with Heroes**

_Calliope: The fates had cut the string. _

_Thalia: Pegasus, Hercules and Phil watched as Meg left them again, like a scene playing from the past.  
><em>

_Clio: Poor Mel was on her knees before, alone and regretful as she realized that her selfishness, her strong hold for wanting what she never had in life; left her with any chances of getting it back...but it was too late. The damage was done. _

_Thalia: It was a dreary scene, brings shivers to my spine._

_Terpsichore: And all along Hades was basking in his glory of righteousness for having outsmarted poor Hercules.  
>Calliope: It seemed that all was lost.<em>

"Sorry Herc, there are some things in life that even gods can't change." Phil said, re-quoting himself slightly.  
>Hercules left with Meg's body on Pegasus leaving Mel alone in the dust in front of the gates to the Underworld.<p>

That night the world seemed quiet. Almost too quiet.

Mel found herself in the garden looking at her reflection in the fountain.

"Why did I have to screw it all up…" She hit her reflection with her hand as if became ripples in the water.

"I could have just let it happen…I could have just shut my mouth and consoled him but instead I did get noble…all because…because…" She slumped down onto a bench. "…because I know what Meg felt when I stole her boyfriend. I know now what it feels like to loose everything; I thought that I lost it all when I lost my brother and my parents…but now…maybe it is better to be alone."

She clutched her hands around herself, in the cool night air. She noticed a light in the palace window of Hercules' large home. She couldn't live this way; she had to at least say sorry…somehow.

* * *

><p>"Herc, don't you want to go out there? Maybe blow off some steam? Find a way to get Meg back? Work out so you can punch Hades'-"<p>

"No Phil, I can't do it. There isn't any way to get her back this time don't you get it. I screwed up. I thought that Mel was right…I didn't believe Meg and I should have. Hades was right; I can't make a deal to get her out of this this time. Now Meg's gone, and Hades won."

"Awh, common kid you can't give up that easy remember, like you said you're a god!"

"Phil, I'm only half a god...remember." Hercules said leaving the room tearing his eye from Meg's body lying on her bed like she was asleep.

Mel watched from the shadows. She snuck into his house to apologize but it didn't seem right to do that right now. Not after hearing that. Her stomach curled and twisted, and her throat was dry without words. That's when words rang in her head; there was something she could do to say she was sorry. She didn't know how she could get it to work; but she could try. She would have to try; it was all she had left…

* * *

><p>"Hey kid, I know you're having a rough nice but I think you should see this." Phil said opening the door to Hercules room, motioning him to follow.<p>

"What Phil?" He followed into the main room, where a note lay on one of the tables. He looked at it and read it.

_Hercules,  
>I messed up. I messed up big time. There are some things you should know; my brother died years ago, not long after I made the deal with Hades to get him Meg. Yes, Meg was right; I made the deal so I could spend time with my brother. He was getting better and I was stuck doing Hades dirty work. It was selfish and you've come to show me that. My brother died on a boat soon after, and like it left me to be bitter. I knew what you're wedding gift was as well to Meg. I had hoped that if I was immortal I could find my own family, belong somewhere since I've never really felt that way. I was always jealous of Meg, and Hades was the only person who did something for me…even if it was out of pure evil. She doesn't deserve to die because of my mistakes…I never knew Hades would go as far…honestly it's me who should. I see now that I made a mistake…and I am going to make it right.<em>

_Hercules, you're a like a god, you may not be able to make a deal to get Meg back…but I can._  
><em>- Mel<em>

Hercules looked at the page in awe. Was Mel really going to go through with this? It didn't surprise him that most of her story was lies; the same had been for Meg when she was in a deal with Hades. Mel seemed to have changed. He may not have the same feelings for her that she may have had for him, but he couldn't let her do this. There had to be another way. She was going to give it all up so Meg could be saved; the same way he was going to. She may have started out like Hades, or a villain…but in the end she was going to put her life on the line; she was trying to be the hero.

"What are you gonna do kid?" Phil said with concern in his eyes.

"We have to go after her!"

"But if the gates are locked."

"Hades will have to let us in, I'll tell him I'll make him a deal. My father banished him from using the fates right? Maybe I can get him that much. I can't let two people die because of me."

"Herc, she's doing it because she has to."

"No, Phil. Nobody should die; this is all Hades fault. He's going to pay."

* * *

><p>"Wait, wait, so you're telling me that <em>you<em> want to trade you're soul for Meg's? The girl you wanted out of the way, who's now floating in a river of death? What am I missing?"

"You don't get it. Hercules loves her; I cant get in the way of that. Meg doesn't deserve to die I do…you can have my soul. I'll do anything you want …you can kill me if you wanted to I don't care."

"Dear Zeus, why do you girls have to get so noble all the time? Why would I want you when I have Hercules lover in my power?"

"Because the reason that my brother and I were so scorned by my aunt and uncle wasn't because they were poor…it's because my parent's were scorned. Particularly my father."

"I'm listening."

"My father is the hero Achilles."

"Wait, wait, wait. You're telling me, that you're father was Achilles? Wouldn't that make you …"

"A god?" Pain and Panic asked in unison.

"No my father was only half a god, and not even truly immortal. My mother was a woman in Troy, who nobody recognized as even my father's lover, as she didn't want her head in the middle of a war. My brother was too young and didn't remember. My mother and my father died in the war when even I was young and my brother was a baby. People call my father a fool as he is a shamed hero for his heel seemed a poor downfall, including my mother's sister and her husband. My mother was human and in no way am I immortal."

"Ah so you're telling me I could take the daughter of the famed hero under my wing to do my dirty work once again, or set free the lover and future wife of my sworn enemy Hercules and son of Zeus?"

"Even you know it's a lot easier to get an army for chaos when you have curves on you're side?" Mel tempted. She needed to win this game.

"Hmm,Hmm." He laughed. "True…"

"Deal?"

"Okay, okay let me think…."

"Come on Phil we got to go now, before Mel…"

"Does something stupid?" Phil asked trudging along, following Hercules going outside to retrieve Pegasus.

"I'm serious Phil." He said jumping on the winged steed motioning for Phil to join.

"You know what kid, I'll wait here in case either one of the deals happen and Meg wakes up…I don't feel like another face of with Hades."

"You scared Phil?"

"No, no. Just don't like dealing with that god of death. Good luck kid." He said genuinely as he patted him on the back before watching Hercules leave to try to set this mess straight.

"Good luck kid," he repeated. "You really will need it."


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21: Ankles, Weak Ankles, The Real Weakness**

"Hey look who's joined the party? It's wonder boy!" Hades said with a twinge of sarcasm.

"Let the girls go!"

"Girl-s? I think you're mistaken. You see Miss Melaina- Achilles over here, is mine. While you're girl is right here."

Mel appeared in Hades arms looking glossy eyed, and soon after Meg on the ground in front of Hercules.

"Achilles?" Hercules repeated.

"Even I didn't know Herc, but it seems Mel here is the daughter of the great heroic failure with the weak ankles." He danced her around in his arms.

"I needed a bargaining chip. I never told anyone before, but it's true. Guess I really do have weak ankles… Meg's yours." She said shamefully, diverting her gaze from the hero.

He looked at Meg. "Meg's still not awake."

"Uhm duh? You killed her if I do not recall?" Hades smirked.

"You said you'd give her back!" Mel protested.

"I did. But you see if it wasn't for Wonder boy coming to the rescue and causing me to lock the gates she wouldn't be dead in the first place. I said I'd trade her for you, I didn't say I'd trade her alive."

"But it was YOU, who gave her the seeds." Hercules raged forwards at Hades.

"True, true, but you ignored her until she came to me. That's right Wonder boy you were just like all the other men of the world; greedy and naive. Why don't you tell him Meg?" He looked down at the passed out Meg on the floor. "Just like her other boyfriend." He finished with venom on his lips.

"No, no." Hercules repeated.

"Wonder boy." A meek voice said out.

"Meg?"

"It wasn't you're fault. I made the deal with Hades. My mistake. Look I won't last much longer. I've been waiting for you." She lifted her hand to him and he grasped it holding it to his cheek.

"But I made the deal with him for my soul. It shouldn't be like this."

"It's my mistake. I started this all. I came to Hades with the deal. I wanted to feel included, have what I couldn't have. Take her; you know what to do." Mel said looking at Hercules hard.

He looked at her with confusion.

"You're a god, and you have the gods on your side. There is only one way to stop death."

"But what about you?"

"I was meant to be alone. I'll pay my dues, die alone, but it was meant to be." Mel looked away.

"Wow, wow, time out. What's with the tragic story here? And the gods? Am I missing something?" Hades interrupted.

"Yea, you did. You just lost." Mel said glaring at the god, as Hercules left with Meg in his arms for the heavens.

"I just lost? No honey, you just entered you're worst nightmare." Hades said as he flamed with anger.

* * *

><p>"Common kid, I don't know how much time she's got left?" Phil said holding to Meg, on the back of Pegasus as they flew towards Olympus.<p>

Hercules stared back at Meg, and felt the pain of loosing her again arise in his chest. What was worse was that he felt terrible for leaving Mel back with Hades, but in a sense she partially deserved it. Still it didn't feel right.

"My boy? What's this?"

"Father, another run in with Hades, Meg doesn't have much time, but if you could give me the wedding present now i…"

"But you need to have a wedding? And I need to make her a goddess of something?"

"Zeus, darling." Hera appeared beside him at the gates, and gave him a look.

"It's fine. We'll have the ceremony right here right now."

* * *

><p>"So Hercules is getting wed to little miss Nut-Meg and I have your soul instead? Remind me WHERE this went wrong?" Hades flamed in anger.<p>

"Look, Hercules is a great guy, and Meg dealt with enough. I didn't have to…"

"You ruin MY plan of having Meg die and leaving Hercules with the guilt, when you decide to remind him of the wonderful gift from the mighty Zeus?"

"He didn't deserve for her to die." She pleaded.

" Wait, wait...you like Hercules? You were actually starting to fall for the good-boy hero act?" Hades looked at her eyebrows raised. "What is with you women?" He massaged is head.

"You wouldn't ever know what it's like to care for someone."

"Care for you? Wait, wait. Hercules left with Meg! You're brother is dead, and if I recall you're stuck for the rest of your life doing whatever I say my little Melly."

She opened her mouth but no words came out. She slumped down.

"Oh you thought he was going to return to get you? What would Hercules want with you?" Hades smiled.  
>"You sold you're soul to me to let Meg out, and what do you get in return?" He said playing the scene in front of her the same way he did to Meg. "Hercules running off with Meg to join the gods' forever."<p>

"He wasn't mine to keep." She swished the fog people away with her hand.

"..That is of course _if_ Hercules marries Meg before she dies."

"If, if is good." The two minions said in the background.

"Right we are boys. And we're going to go crash a wedding party, and guess what? We have a nice little bargaining chip waiting here."

"Hercules wouldn't leave Meg for me you just said it!" Mel looked at him with hard eyes.

"Yes, but it seems we do know Hercules' real weakness." He smiling at her.

She raised her head, in confusion.

And he whispered in her ear, "_A damsel in distress_."


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: A Fair Trade

Hercules watched as his father, performed a ceremony; a wedding. It had never been once in his mind that he would be marrying Meg, lying in his arms, half alive. The fact that she was still surviving being this long away from the Underworld was a miracle…but he took it. The moment couldn't come any sooner, when their wedding gift bestowed by his father and mother might save her life.

* * *

><p>Hades took his chariot and begrudgingly danced out a plan in his mind to irk Hercules. At the very most he would let him have a goddess Nut-Meg for a wife, but… he'd make sure to guilt ridden him with the thought that Hercules ruined Mel's life. If there was any thing he knew for certain; Hercules had a soft spot for people living unfortunate lives…especially the damsel in distress type.<p>

* * *

><p>"And now, as husband and wife…" Zeus said, as cheerfully as he could, with Hera on his arm clutching it, hoping that her son would see his new wife survive. "I bestow you with the gift of immortality, of strength and perseverance…because in honesty…Meg showed the bravery of a hero putting her life on the line for you, my boy."<p>

There in front of them was a golden light, as it danced its way, over like a star, to Meg, someone who as of late, eyes remained closed and they waited for the gift to soak into her body. Like a ray of sunshine, for a moment she glowed, the same way Hercules remembered his skin illuminating when he saved her from the river of death….and all so quickly settled, as if it had faded away.

"_Too bad Wonder boy couldn't save the day this time_." A voice cackled. The group looked up to see Hades on his chariot devilish in glee.

"Hades, you are banished from Olympus. Have you not heard?" Zeus yelled.

"Do I look like I am standing on Olympian ground? I don't think so…duh." He said back to his brother. "You screwed up this time Herc? Not so proud of you're son now are you Zeus?" He leaned back in the chariot like he owned the world.

"Hercules…I'm…" Zeus looked apologetically to Hercules, unable to finish his sentence.

"I…" Hercules looked over to his father. .He tried; there was nothing more he could ask.

"Looks like another Greek tragedy I can check off my list…" Hades said looking proudly before he spotted something past Hercules, Hera and Zeus that caught his eye. His eyes widened at the sight.

They all noticed Hades preoccupation with whatever had caught his eye behind them, and they turned all too see a remarkable sight.

Meg, alive, and glowing like no other. Meg, alive; a goddess. Hercules couldn't believe his eyes, her skin glowing not golden but a pale shining skin color, almost comparative to an angelic white.

"Meg!" He said as he swooped her up in his arms.

"Ha, ha! My boy, we did it!" Zeus said proudly, taking his arm and pulling Hera close.

Hades even saw the god-like beauty Meg now possessed. It was really a sight, little Nut-Meg looked pretty well off for a goddess. Either way he wasn't going to give up yet.  
>"Keep you're little goddess Nut-Meg, but remember I got a prize of my own who I won't let forget who's side she chose."<p>

The mood dropped. Hercules remembered; Mel had changed her ways. She was the reason Meg wasn't dead or Hades' toy anymore. She, even through all the hardship she cost, got them out of their trade so now both Hercules and Meg were debt free. He didn't know for sure what Hades had planned for her, but no doubt he'd make her pay.

"Hades I command you to stop this!" Zeus yelled.

"Sorry, my good brother Zeus, but unlike you my job description lets me get a little trade off with the human soul…yada, yada…so YES I can do this." Hades challenged. "You should be happy; you got your happy ever after. You can leave you're leftovers to me; your little damsel in distress…is mine…"

"Don't hurt her." Meg said surprising them all. Meg didn't like Mel, but she was the reason she survived long enough to live, and now become immortal. Mel did have a heart, and Meg new what lonely was like. Maybe it all seemed clear now that she was a goddess, but Hades didn't have to do this.

"Ah ah, Meg you may be a goddess now, but you do not control what I do." He looked to Hercules.

"What are you gonna do?" Panic asked.

"Work her to death?" Pain asked sarcastically.

"Precisely." He laughed. "Consider Mel as good as dead wonderboy. Stay out of it before you make another deal you can't get out of." He sped off to the Underworld, as the four, watched powerless.

"Hades, he abuses his rights. As king of the Underworld he's…" Zeus was too angery to finish his sentence.

"But Mel…" Hercules started. He didn't know what to do, making deals with Hades was too complex. He couldn't risk Meg or anyone else this time…

"I want to help." Meg said looking up to Hercules.

"But you can't. Rules are gods and goddesses cannot visit the mortal world, unless someone prays for their help and they accept an offer…plus my dear, you have no powers, no specialty yet?" Zeus rationed.

"She cant, but I can." Hercules said. He remained only half a god, as per his wishes to stay on earth with Meg…now he could retain that and go do something to save Mel. Mel was going to get killed, or worse if he didn't.

"But Hercules, Darling…"Hera started.

"No mother, I have to go. I'll come back Meg I promise, and we'll have a real wedding; together on Mount Olympus. But we have to make sure Hades can't do anymore damage…I cant see people get hurt." Hercules said. The reason he became a hero was to save people. Hades made it impossible for people not to suffer, and Mel…well Mel lived a rotten life of lies, but now that she turned it around, she didn't need to die for it.

He didn't know how, but he was going to make things right again.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23: Seeing Red**

"She's alright?" Mel repeated as Hades walked in venting his anger to the demons as they cowered at his feet in flames.

"Yes, thanks to you our little Nut-Meg made it all safe and sound as a goddess…" Hades said with sarcasm, "…and you are going to pay for it." He took Mel's hand and whipped her closer to him.

"How does it feel to have lost your place on Olympus to the girl who you so despised to have her boyfriend, and are now selling your soul in her place?" He asked, hoping to dampen her spirits even more.

She looked away from the fiery god, "It doesn't matter…I've paid my debt. There's nothing more left for me up there."

"Luckily for you my little Melly-sweet, you will play part in this little charade; I am going to make Wonder-boy wish he'd never helped you out in the first place." Hades whispered into her ear.

"What would you do? I thought you wanted a human to do your dirty work?" Mel looked at him both frightened and stunned.

"Oh but you see Mel, this is my dirty work…plus you women; you lie, you cheat, you steal…but then you get all noble…and fall in love with guys, guys that don't love you back" He said ending his sentence with venom.

"You wouldn't understand. Plus there's nothing left for you, Hercules destroyed the few monsters you had left…what more possibly could you want from me?" She said giving him a hard stare squinting in question.

"Well Mel-my sweet you do have one thing right, yes he may have killed the titans, and the Minator…and the merman…and the hydra…but you see I have one left that I'm dying for you to entertain for me."

"I wouldn't do anything of the sort."

"I figured so, but he is a fiery monster, and you are going to be the main distraction for it."

"And how do you expect to get me to do that?" She said defiantly.

He eyed her up and down, the curves, the black raven hair…and the red dress.

"Well you see Mel," He crept behind her again, and whispered in her ear, "This monster…likes red."

* * *

><p>"Oh Zeus, what are we going to do?"<p>

"Nothing Hera, we can't interfere with Hades deals; he has ownership over a human if they grant him such, we'll have to depend on Hercules to save them."

"Wonder boy…but he's still half-human…" Meg said, still not used to the feeling of god-dom. It scared her to think that she might loose him when they were so close to happiness.

"He'll make it, you just watch." Phil reassured the new goddess.

"In the mean time…" Zeus said, "Maybe there is one thing we can do to help our boy…"

* * *

><p>Hercules looked in the underworld but saw no signs of Mel, and on his way to leave ran into the one god he despised most.<p>

"Heya Wonder-boy, you know you're little Nut-Meg's up there, isn't that where you should be?" Hades asked with sarcasm, and venom pointing towards mount Olympus.

"Can it Hades, where is Mel? You shouldn't harm her for this."

"Well actually I should…considering she decided to get all noble…and then she fell for you and yada yada, here I am Meg-less and stricken against one more god and a demi-god who's got it out for me SO yea Melaina the little vixen is doing me one last favor."

"..wait…she fell for me?"

"Oh come on Wonderboy, I'd seen it all, the way she gave everything up for your happiness? Sheesh I'd seen it so many times, I can just feel the worms coming back up on me…you humans and that affection…" He rolled his eyes.

"You took away her happiness, her brother?" Hercules challenged.

"So what, the boy was going to die anyway I prolonged it, he didn't die by _sickness_ he died on a _boat_. Her deal was to stop the sickness, what can I say?" Hades smiled deviously. "Got to keep the soul count up you know…" Hercules realized it was all a ruse; Hades always got a soul in the end of a deal, even if it was through foul play.

"Where is Mel?" Hercules demanded getting angry with the foolish chatter.

"Mel's playing bait, got a good final monster of mine that I'm sure she's dying to see…"

"What did you do?"

"Go find her Hercules, better hurry soon or her dress won't be the only red you or that monster will be seeing…" Hades said before disappearing leaving the gates closed and Hercules outside. The clouds started to form, as if darkness had taken over the sky.

Hercules didn't like the sound of it, by any means he was playing the same game he did with Meg, putting her soul on the line. Mel did a hell of a thing putting Meg on the line, but now that Meg was safe…he couldn't feel an unearthing guilt that he couldn't really be happy as a god with Meg if Mel had suffered. She put herself on the line just the same to save all of them…and here she was messed up in something that probably put her in harms way.

He looked to Pegasus and they rode into the sky high enough to see most of the area…and then he saw it…the large oversized bull.

It was rumored to be owned by a king once, but Hades dealt him a deal in trade for the bull, and now it sat on an isolated piece of land, in the ruins of the once stadium like building that had never been finished. There in the middle of it stood Mel…she looked like an ant to the bull, it being almost twice the size of the minator with fiercely long horns…and what was worse…and no doubt what Hades had hinted towards was her dress.

A red dress, angering the already ferocious Cretan Bull…and a red that would be coming next meant nothing good.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24: The Minotaur is Minor; It's the Deals that bring Death**

"That reminds me since you really want to get all tied up in this Herc, lets just say i borrowed King Minos minotaur for a while since he died...oh and his labyrinth and he hasn't eaten in about 50 years so he's a little hungry...did i forget to mention anything...OH and he hates RED!" Hades laughed from above, as Hercules plunged down to the stadium maze to try to save Mel.

Mel sat in the middle of it, scouting the red eyed bull, placed in front of her. Every way she looked was a mess of pillars and walls broken, in a labyrinth. She took a deep breath in; she deserved this...and Hades ... well he was having way too much fun with this. Hercules needed to get out now; he had a chance at immortality, while she, was nothing but a jealous heart strung fool. She stuck her head up and started to run into the maze away from the beating monster.

"What is she doing?" He said as he plummeted to the ground. The maze was too narrow for Pegasus, but he noticed her get herself deeper in the maze, away from where he and Pegasus landed.

He ran from Pegasus, through narrow loop holes, and archways, small crevices, running into the odd dead end of solid wall. Until he stopped, at the sound of a bellowing crash.

Mel was staring at the minotaur, bigger then the one that Hades had her play with before. So Hercules hadn't killed the biggest minotaur in Greece, like Hades had so let on; but this one was more like a large bull. She'd caught herself at a dead end, and dead ends seemed to have little meaning to the bull as it pushed through halve of its barriers with its sharp, dominating horns.

"Nice...bull..." She said hesitantly trying to calm it like a small dog. All she got was a loud huff, and a bull groan, as it eyed her red dress with a deep hungering fury.

"Zeus, I wish I hadn't worn a red dress..." She said backing up, against the large wall bordered with two columns blocking her in a corner.

Meanwhile Hercules was getting aggravated, as he knew the large crash was the minotaur's work, and yet he struggled to find her. So much so when he pounded his fist on the wall in front of him he found a new way of getting through the walls; muscle.

They crumbled from age and crashed leaving him the next new path. "

Come on.." He said as he rushed forward.

"Can he do that?" Pain asked Panic as they watched above with Hades.

"Don't worry boys, he won't make it in time. Relax, Mel is going to get her just desserts for toying with me, and Hercules ..."

"Is still gonna be a god..." Panic concluded.

"If...if he can take the minotaur..." Pain added.

"If...if is good." Panic nodded.

"Like I said, _if_ is a wonderful word boys." Hades smiled down at the soon coming catastrophe.

Mel was staring at it, as it started to rear, she'd have to close her eyes and take this. She'd...

"Mel, no!"

She opened her eyes to see the soon to be Demi-god, emerge behind the bull, ready to take it by the horns. Hercules had caught up, and was taking on the bull.

"You don't have to do this!"

"I'm not going to let anyone get hurt. This needs to end."

"I let you get hurt, just let the bull go and save yourself!" Mel screamed as she watched him grab it's horns and ride it on its back, trying to steer it into any wall away from her.

Her truthfulness shocked him, as he looked at her; was she really that true...if so she didn't deserve to die. Meg was safe now, but he had to make this right. It was his fault for putting Meg at risk and believing Mel, but his fault for not being able to save her from Hades power-hungry games.

Suddenly the bull reared quickly shoving Hercules into a far wall, as his back hit it hard, he slouched hitting the ground, trying to get up. The monster was far from weak and that of mythology; true to its legacy. It turned back to its first target; Mel.

Mel watched, and knew it was over; she was never one for suicide, but hey the underworld was the only place she'd ever find herself. She waited for the hit, when she felt a strong force push her back as the wall behind her crumbled.

She opened her eyes to see that Hercules had ran and pushed her out of the way knocking over the wall, his body holding her underneath, as the bull was dazed from hitting the wall instead of it's intended target and started to run in the opposite direction.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Are you stupid?" She asked, with a small smile, but still she moved over, as she got up, she felt the pain shoot up her ankle, as the bandage was falling apart. "Go get Meg, and save yourself before it's too late. You're the one that needs too..."

"To what? Survive i kn..." Hercules said before Mel pushed him out of the way of a crumbling wall and what only she'd seen as oncoming.

Before Hercules could try to stop the animal, it had taken Mel in his horns, from a far away rear, which he'd assumed meant to be him, and crushed her into the far wall as the ruminants crumbled.

"MEL!"

He ran over, and as the bull's horns remained stuck in the parts of crumbled wall, prying its head down, he cut them off, and then removed it's head, trying to hold down the struggling minotaur. He then shoved the minotaur's remains to the side, and moved the ruminants to find Mel.

He looked down at her, and held his breath, as her sides remained darkened with the marks of the horns.

She coughed slightly, and breathed out.

"You're alive? What was that?"

"You have Meg, go now, before Hades gets here and cheats you into another deal..." She mumbled. "Hades has a soul now, and if you let...this...get to you...you'll get in deep again...don't let him be satisfied." She let out a small squint of a smile and let her body go limp.

"I won't let him be satisfied." Hercules pressed angrily.

"Oh but i am." Hades smiled now next to him, "And if you don't mind, im going to keep her body as a souvenir if you will, for my final victory, because you my dear Herc, are forbade from the underworld if my memory serves me correct." As he snapped his fingers the limp body of Mel was gone, and the fates had taken her soul.

"Goodbye Wonder-boy, cheers to living forever on Mount Olympus knowing you couldn't save them all."


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25: Goddess Status, and the Riddle for the Soul of the Actress**

"You've returned…how did it-"

"I couldn't save her. I know she was …but she didn't have anyone left."

"Son, you can't save everyone." Zeus looked at his son. "At least now you can live on Mount Olympus with your goddess."

"Meg?" He looked up weakly.

"Herc…I'm…I'm so sorry." Meg was standing in front of him glowing. Her eyes though, she struggled too with the loss.

"There's nothing I could do… Hades will make another deal, or give me another debt to pay… theres still people on Earth I care about Meg. Phil… my human mother and father…"

"I know how it feels to be in her shoes. I hated her for getting me stuck in that mess with Hades…but I didn't have anyone either, so it didn't matter what happened to me. She was in the same boat until she got her freedom. Maybe the idea of wanting what you can't have drew her in. That's what got me so close to you Wonderboy…that's why I hurt you the first time."

"It shouldn't be like that."

"Son, us gods and goddesses make deals. Some aren't nice, but it's often the only way we often cant grant a wish. Only people with true actions can be bestowed gifts. "

"But what about Meg…she's a goddess now and it-"

"She was bestowed it for her bravery. She sacrificed herself for you just as you did for her. She's the goddess of the strong of heart and rebirth now. It's a minor role, but I'm getting the feeling that people on Earth need some guidance in that department…as for the rebirth…well I can't say that we can trade Hades' souls, but for now we'll keep Rebirth as a term for... a fresh start." Zeus said shrugging, looking to Hera beside him. Hercules understood. New gods were not things that happened so easily.

"Let's get her back." Meg said to Hercules.

"How can we? I don't know what to do…I saw her die Meg. We can't make a deal anymore we're not human."

"In that case, we have to figure something out..something." Meg said defiantly. Hercules nodded…it was a slim hope.

* * *

><p>"You know I used to like having some pawn pieces to play around with… but of course they have to be so noble and self-sacrificing to end up DEAD." Hade's hair flamed. "You know maybe for this once time, I can actually –"<p>

"What?" Pain and Panic asked.

"No nothing. It doesn't matter. Meg-ar-a has got herself a higher status now a day, and Herc is about to become Mr. Imortal again. I've got no point of raising the dead, because then I'd have to pay dues to the-"

"We're here!"

"Wow, quicker then room service and I didn't even call." Hades rubbed his temples.

"Oh stop your whining. "

"But I thought Zeus said you couldn't be visited by the Fates." Panic said.

"It was a suspension, not an expulsion honey. " Clotho said. "I'm the youngest of three, but Zeus hasn't got millennia on us."

"Hold it, hold it, hold it…You're saying that Zeus' power doesn't affect you as King of the Hill?" Hades raised a brow.

"Not one iota. Well maybe one Iota, but we got tons more." Lachesis said.

"So I COULD HAVE had THE FATES on MY SIDE…the WHOLE DAMN TIME?"

"He just figured this out?" Atropos whispered to Pain.

"Fine. But I don't see why I need to wake up one measly girl from her drifting river road of permanent slumber, whose bound to make another mistake and play the goody-two-shoes game of messing up my plans?"

"Because if you do there is a chance you could get back at Hercules."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"We like excitement in the human world. Plus Hercules does prevent a lot of people from intertwining with fate." Lachesis was playing with a string like it was cat's cradle.

"So I'm doing _you_ a favor by playing trade-sies with the souls?" Hades smirked.

"More or less. _If_ you play it out right." Atropos said. Pain and Panic looked at each other at the word _if._

"Well I'm all ears." Hades waited, wondering what possible good could come out of this.

"Shall I?" Clotho asked.

"Go ahead." Atropos said, as she handed her the eye.

"Ahem.." Clotho let it float.

"If you take the raven haired girl and put her back on your playing field, give her a deal she can't dismiss.  
>Call out for the goddess of the impenetrable heart, and plant a wish,<br>With the fruit of the darkness played again, you can capture the Miss,  
>In the Under Ground lair, you'll said bait for the fish,<br>Even muscles cannot bring back, from a full fruit's child,  
>The little b-" Clotho<p>

"Ah-ah" Atropos said.

"…witch." Clotho finished crossly at her sister's warning.

"Well I was hoping for something a little less cryptic." Hades rolled his eyes.

"Well we left it in writing. So who's the soul for trade?"

"Anyone I guess." Hades looked at the words etched by the gaze of the eye, into his perfectly good chess game of figurines that was consistently dwindling. What did Melaina want more than anything else, other than Wonderboy and a goddess title…those were too weak now… but…

"Actually girls make that one trade, and lets leave another on the back burner. I think I have a plan for the deal of the century here. Mel isn't getting out of this one." Hades twisted his hands and set on the board a figurine of a black haired girl, and placed her below the Mountain of Olympus.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26: One Persons Freedom Is Another Person's Prison**

"Ah there you are. I've been waiting for you my sweet."

"What's going on right now?" Mel looked to the underworld god with disdain, as she questioned why she was alive again.

"Aren't you happy you're not swimming in a river of death? It's pretty grimy down there I'd know…"

"I'd rather be dead then be in the presence of you."

"And yet I'm not so sure about that."

"What could you possibly say? You've done enough damage. Why would you let me live?" Mel looked at him with fire in her eyes.

"Well I mean you do me this one last favor, and you keep your life and I'll through another one in…"

"What?"

"How about I raise your brother from the dead? No illness. No broken, fractured or drowned bones."

Mel looked at him with wide eyes. "How?"

"Luckily for me, the fates don't really bend by my heavenly brother Zeus' laws, so with a few shakes of a hand, I get my worker bee back out on the board, and they get to play with the destruction that entails when the god of Heroes is too busy with other problems then to save the humans from my terrors. My death count equals their business. Bada-Bing-Bada-Boom." He looked to the soul count as it went up.

"They want me alive. What hell are you bringing to Hercules, Meg is a goddess now, you can't touch them!"

"See this is NOT the Melaina I hired how many years ago? Was it five? Or longer? I remember the red hot vicious woman who was out to get all she could, and would do anything for her freedom, and now I'm handing you your brother on a silver platter so you won't be lonely…that is when your not working for me…and this is what you tell me?"

"You. Can't. Touch. Them."

"But see that's where you're wrong. If you remember correctly there is a certain loophole. How do you think I had Hercules turned to human in the first place?"

Mel bit her lip.

"A little baby serum with a little bit of the juice of a certain little fruit of the underworld. For a god it takes much more then a bit of juice…or one seed but…"

"I…I couldn't."

"Your brother Mel-my-sweet. Or of course, you can go down the drain, throw your brother's life away and let your Auntie and Uncle live in the poor house for the rest of their days…"

Mel hated it. It felt selfish but it was for her family. She'd …she'd have to do it. But maybe there was a way out…she'd …she knew what she'd do… maybe.

"All you have to do is call the little goddess of strength of heart…honestly…is that the best old Zeus can come up with? Ask her for help, now that you're free again and with a little help she'll be my Prisoner…it will be fun having Megera as my little goddess slave don't you think boys? Haven't had one of those before?"

"Why don't you just do it to Zeus."

"One of the originals? Nope can't. Hercules I only could because he was a child…full power, full lineage… won't work. Meg is human blooded…she was bestowed a minor godly power…whatever the hell a strong heart is…"

"Fine. I'll do it." Mel said. "The moment that I do this, I better see my brother…"

"Standing beside you. I get Meg. You get your brother. I'd love to see the look on Herc's face when his goddess is chained to the underworld, and I get to keep her locked away at my side. Pray to the god of Heroes boys, because soon he'll be just another meaningless block head hero, who's gain is about to go down the drain." Hade's smiled widened and his eyes glowed, as Mel wondered how she'd fix this one, when she wasn't sure she even knew how.


End file.
